IAN Blackford has stepped up his demand to Boris Johnson to fund a major clean energy project in Scotland.
As world leaders gather in Glasgow for COP26 to fight cllimate change the SNP Westminster leader told the House of Commons that no clear reasons had been given why the Conservative Government had decided not to back the Acorn Project near Aberdeen.
Last month the well advanced initiative lost out on grants which went instead to two schemes in the north of England.
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At Prime Minister's Questions today, Blackford said: "In Westminster there isn't even a willing partner to deliver the carbon capture project that was long promised.
"Scotland's north-east has now been waiting weeks for a clear reason to exactly why the Scottish cluster bid was rejected. There have been no clear answers, not even clear excuses."
The Prime Minister has said the Government will "come back" to a Scottish bid for the Acorn carbon capture project, saying it is on a reserve list.
He told the Commons: "I'm a massive enthusiast for carbon capture and storage around the whole of the UK. The Acorn project in Aberdeen remains as he knows on the reserve list, he should not give up. We will come back to this.
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"And of course we want to make sure that we have a fantastic industry generating clean hydrogen around the country. He should not despair. In the meantime, we are supporting amazing Scottish plans to get clean energy from wind, from hydrogen, from all sorts of means."
Blackford replied: "The Scottish cluster bid would have stored 30% of the UK's CO2 emissions and it would have supported the creation of around 20,000 jobs in green industries. It was by far and away the best bid."
He concluded: "It is obvious that this was a political decision in Westminster to reject it." He called on the Prime Minister to reverse the decision.
Johnson reiterated: "We will come back to this."
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