Scottish Enterprise commissioned this report to better understand the required actions in developing
a roadmap towards a CO2 utilisation strategy for Scotland. This document provides an overview of CO2
utilisation with respect to opportunities in Scotland and provides recommendations for further steps
for Scotland to explore and develop its potential in this area.
As part of the Chemical Sciences Scotland strategy refresh in 2012, Grangemouth was identified as a
key chemical manufacturing location, and is described as a ‘transformational project’ for this sector.
This led to a study among Chemical Sciences Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and Falkirk Council, and
several key organisations located in the area, the findings of which indicated that the development of
Grangemouth by promoting it on the international stage might attract economic benefits as follows:
At a local level, the estimated impact is a net additional 5,116 jobs, with net additional GVA of £462.8m
by 2025. Again, around half of the jobs are anticipated to be generated in the chemicals sector. In
October 2013, the position changed at Grangemouth with the industrial relations dispute and the
threatened closure of the petrochemicals business and the refinery. This dispute highlighted
Grangemouth as Scotland’s largest industrial location and its importance for and potential impact on
the Scottish economy.
Since then a cross-business and public sector team has been working to develop this location to good
effect. However, the landscape is changing again and other potential scenarios require consideration.
Simultaneously DECC has developed a roadmap for the Decarbonisation of the Chemical Sciences
sector, which Scottish Government has indicated a desire to develop further for Scotland. In addition,
Scotland has published challenging emissions targets and has an ambition to develop a Carbon Capture
and Storage (CCS) exemplar utilising assets and expertise available in Scotland.
Scottish Enterprise aims to understand:
• how the utilisation of CO2 can provide cross-sectoral economic opportunities in Scotland
• how Scotland can leverage its current and potential future CO2 resources
• how can help to decarbonise the Chemical Sciences sector in particular
• how can help to realise the Grangemouth vision for sustainable high value chemical
manufacturing over the longer-term
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)