Scotland cannot afford to be left behind in the fracking revolution as the wider UK begins to embrace the energy source, Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser has said.
A conference today in Edinburgh marks the first major policy event exploring the potential benefits shale gas would bring to the country.
It comes on the day a UK Government adviser on climate change signalled his intent to promote fracking.
Lord Deben, chairman of Downing Street’s advisory body on climate change, said shale gas was safe, and would improve the security of energy supplies in future.
And at The Fracking Question in the Capital today, delegates will hear from leading figures within the energy industry who say reserves in Scotland could match that of North Sea oil.
The Scottish Conservatives have previously said the future of the Grangemouth refinery could be greatly enhanced by processing shale gas extracted in Scotland.
As it stands, the Ineos facility will be heavily dependent on the product being shipped over from America.
Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“The move towards shale gas is accelerating, and we need to see action now from the Scottish Government to make sure we don’t get left behind.
“The UK Government is making the right noises on this, and Holyrood needs to follow suit.
“Not only could shale gas guarantee energy supplies for decades, it could also bring a huge boost to the economy.
“We’ve seen the major impact North Sea oil and gas has had for Scotland and the UK – if there’s a chance this can be replicated with fracking, we need to move now.
“The saving of the Ineos facility would be a good catalyst for this – it seems illogical for the future of that plant to be dependent on foreign shale gas when we could extract it ourselves.
“This would also give the SNP a good opportunity to abandon its obsession with windfarms and provide some security against the volatility of oil.”