Living Lab Grangemouth, Falkirk- Background
Falkirk Council (municipality) Located in the heart of Central Scotland between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Falkirk Council area is a significant national and international economic hub in the chemicals, petrochemicals, manufacturing and logistics sectors.
The Falkirk Council area is home to the Grangemouth Industrial complex, the hub of chemical manufacturing in Scotland. Business and industry contribute 17% of the 50 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland annually. Over 80% of these emissions are carbon dioxide (CO2).
Falkirk Council is committed to achieving net zero carbon and also aspires to maintain and grow the chemicals and manufacturing industries that not only contribute 25% of the area’s GVA but also heavily contribute to Scotland’s national emissions. This is being supported through the Falkirk and Grangemouth Investment Zone Growth Deal, an economic investment zone package currently being developed with both Scottish and UK Governments.
Falkirk has the potential of becoming the main CCU hub for Scotland, testing and applying technologies that can then be rolled out across the country and internationally. It seeks to reinforce the sector through innovation, co-location, attracting and growing smart greener technologies and building complimentary businesses in renewables, sustainability and support services. CCU will be a future contributor to achieving these objectives.
Grangemouth industrial complex, is a centre of production excellence in chemical sciences and hosts the largest cluster of advanced manufacturing businesses in Scotland. It has established itself as a leading location for inward investment and allied company investment in related energy, biosciences and logistics. These existing strengths will be bolstered to further expansion in industrial biotechnology, carbon usage and low/zero carbon production.
With Scottish and UK Government support, Falkirk Council is looking to enable development of a world class CCU Innovation and Enterprise hub, demonstrator and value chain. Over the longer-term, Falkirk Council is helping to support industry diversify through innovation, whilst focusing on achieving Net Zero Carbon.
Scottish Enterprise and Falkirk Council, as partners in the EU-funded, Interreg Northern Connections project, have identified specific opportunities for Scotland's industries to work with European partners to realise these aspirations. Both partners have been working in partnership and alongside industry and key stakeholders, to identify and scope the CCU opportunities in Scotland, publishing an action plan to develop the CCU industry in Scotland in September 2019.
The Falkirk and Grangemouth Investment Zone Growth Deal aims to invest in demonstration scale facilities for CCU technologies, as well as creating a supportive, collaborative environment for technology companies, emitters and others in the value chain. The outcome of the outline Growth Deal bid will be known by March 2020 and full business cases will be produced by March 2021.
