SNP ministers were accused today of treating proposals for a new gas power plant in north-east Scotland as a “foregone conclusion” amid allegations of backroom lobbying by oil and gas giants.

The new 910-megawatt plant in Peterhead, aimed at replacing an existing gas-powered station as well as providing a new carbon capture and storage facility, is a joint project between energy company SSE and state-owned Norwegian oil giant Equinor.

The proposal is currently making its way through the planning process.

Friends of the Earth Scotland (FoE) have submitted an official complaint, accusing ministers of 28 separate breaches of the ministerial code concerning the application.

Ministers, including then-first minister Humza Yousaf, have been accused of treating it as a “foregone conclusion” in public statements, and face further allegations of bias after it was revealed they met with the developers a staggering 61 times between February 2022 and December 2023, equivalent to more than once a fortnight.

Meanwhile, they have refused meetings with campaigners, claiming it would be “inappropriate” to meet and discuss a live planning application.

FoE’s Alex Lee said: “These 28 breaches of the ministerial code show a deeply troubling pattern of behaviour right across the Scottish government.

“Public concerns have been deliberately ignored to try and push through a climate-damaging planning application in the interests of greedy energy companies.  

“Our investigations show that the Scottish government has treated the outcome of this planning application as a foregone conclusion right from the beginning and has failed to follow the planning process and assess the evidence objectively.

“First Minister John Swinney must get his government in order and stop listening to fossil fuel companies.

“Workers and communities in the north-east of Scotland need a credible transition plan that can move us to good green jobs in renewables, not a dodgy project built on the rotten foundations of carbon capture and backroom lobbying.”

A Scottish government spokesperson dismissed allegations of ministers pre-judging the application as “simply untrue,” adding: “A decision will be taken by ministers in due course, following consideration of the application information, consultation responses and representations made by members of the public.

“The Scottish government has yet to receive any official correspondence on this matter.

“When received, we will consider any complaint in line with usual practice.

“It would not be appropriate to comment on a live planning application.”