THE developers behind a controversial hydrogen plant that was set for Clydebank's waterfront have explained the reason for withdrawing their controversial plans.

Peel NRE [Natural Resources and Energy], part of Peel L&P, insist the plans for the plastic-to-hydrogen facility on disused land at Rothesay Dock would have helped local and national government reach 'net zero' targets.

But the company says the Scottish Government's stance on thermal treatment facilities was the reason they decided to pull the plug on their proposals.

Campaigners against the plans celebrated as the energy engineering firm decided against pushing ahead with the plans as they sat with the Scottish Government.

But Richard Barker, development director at Peel NRE, said the withdrawal of the proposals was a missed opportunity for the area.

He said: "We need innovative solutions to deal with the challenges facing society – how we manage our waste more sustainably, find cleaner sources of energy and cut carbon emissions.

"The current moratorium on thermal treatment facilities in Scotland creates a negative environment that risks stifling this innovation in the sustainable management of waste and was one of the key drivers in our decision to withdraw the application.

“Our plans for North Clyde would have provided much-needed infrastructure for processing plastics that can’t be recycled, creating a local source of hydrogen that could be used as an alternative clean fuel for HGVs, buses and cars.

"This could have helped contribute to the Scottish Government’s mission to decarbonise our communities and economies to reach net zero.”

The company's planning application for the development was initially approved by West Dunbartonshire Council in June.

However, the plans had to be approved at government level, and were referred to the Scottish Government under a planning direction relating to 'incineration and advanced thermal treatment facilities'.

The Scottish Government had previously made a pledge to reject planning applications for new incinerators in Scotland in its response to an independent review on incineration - and the Rothesay Dock plans were, or would have been, the first test of that moratorium.