The North East Scotland Green Freeport bid has won crucial backing from the Press & Journal, which has today warned the UK and Scottish governments against "betraying" the region again.
In a powerful front page editorial this morning, the newspaper said that Scotland's two winning green freeport bids should be the North-east, alongside Cromarty, saying together they would create "a true powerhouse in the delivery of low carbon energy" that could be the envy of the world.
"As the UK awaits a new Prime Minister, it is now incumbent on them to demonstrate the importance of the north of Scotland to their ambitions, and the regard they hold for the value of its people and their abilities," it said, adding: "These areas have been badly let down in the past and today we are urging the government not to betray us again."
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'Importance'
The North East Scotland Green Freeport consortium estimates a green freeport stretching from Peterhead to Aberdeen would create 32,000 jobs and provide an economic boost worth £8.5billion over the next decade.
A north-east green freeport would also galvanise key projects such as the Acorn carbon capture and storage project in Peterhead, which is the heart of an ambitious plan to enable some of the UK’s largest polluters to store carbon under the North Sea.
The Press & Journal writes: "Never more than now has the world needed the expertise, the vision and the sheer graft of the north and north-east people.
"That’s why The Press and Journal is demanding the UK and Scottish Governments support the proposals put forward by Opportunity Cromarty Firth and North East Scotland Green Freeport.
"We expect the decision to be made as early as this week. Of five bids in Scotland only two will be chosen.
"Both bids that we are endorsing offer the potential to transform the regional economy by pump-priming billions of investment which creates tens of thousands of jobs."
It adds: "Both of these together would make the north of Scotland a true powerhouse in the delivery of low carbon energy that could be the envy of the world.
"Insiders are predicting the green freeport bid in the Forth, taking in Leith Docks and the industrial complex at Grangemouth, is a shoo-in for one of Scotland’s two green freeports.
"If this is the case, then the governments must change their plans and give Scotland three green freeports, with the Highlands and the north-east bids also selected."
Reaction
The front page editorial has been welcomed by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, which has this morning sent a copy to every Cabinet minister in both the UK and Scottish governments.
AGCC Chief Executive, Russell Borthwick, said: "Today's P&J clearly lays out the clear economic case to award Green Freeport status to both the North East and Cromarty bids. And reinforces the strength of feeling on the matter of the communities in these areas.
"If it is correct that the Forth bid is to be given the green light, then parts of the North of Scotland will end up betrayed by our governments once more.
"In just the last few months the Scottish CCUS cluster centred around St Fergus was denied Track 1 funding. And a windfall tax was imposed disproportionately on our region and an energy sector which needs vital capital to invest in the green energy revolution. Losing out on Green Freeport status would be a triple whammy and the last straw."