Members of the Scottish Parliament have come out in support of a bid for a new freeport near Edinburgh and Falkirk.
The Forth Green Freeport bid is competing to establish one of two potential freeports coming to Scotland. This would be a large site encompassing key ports in Grangemouth, Leith and Rosyth to act as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), whereby regulations economic would differ from the rest of the UK.
The UK Government will offer a number of benefits to the area of the winning bids including easing of customs rules and tax reliefs. This is intended to create jobs, boost industry and assist in Scotland in meeting its target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
The UK currently has eight freeports, all of which are based in England, so winning bids would be the first of its kind in Scotland.
MSPs from Edinburgh, Falkirk, and Lothian have met in Edinburgh today to give their backing to the bid for Forth Green Freeport.
Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, said, “Scotland cannot decarbonise without a strong development pathway for the industrial cluster at Grangemouth and along the Forth Estuary. Whether it’s a switch to more sustainable fuels or the development of a hydrogen economy, the plans put forward by INEOS, Forth Ports and others will accelerate Scotland’s just transition to a greener future, while protecting jobs, developing skills and offering new opportunities for future generations. That’s why I back the bid”.
The Scottish and UK governments will decide in the coming weeks where up to two freeports in Scotland should be introduced. There are five bids in total, with other proposals hoping for a freeport in Clyde, Aberdeen, Inverness, and Orkney.
