Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners battery storage projects: EIR release

Information requested

In relation the battery storage projects planned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners near (a) Kincardine, Fife, and (b) Coalburn, South Lanarkshire:

1. How much public money has been awarded for each project; and what conditions were attached to this funding, with specific reference to local content, services and workforce?

2. What economic impact the Scottish Government has assessed these projects will have during construction, and following completion with specific reference to local content, services and workforce?

Response

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested in the format you asked for.

1. The answer to your first question is that no public money was awarded for the Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners battery storage projects in Kincardine, Fife and Coalburn South Lanarkshire.

2. In relation to your second question, I enclose information related to your request. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exception(s) under regulation(s) 10(4)(e) (internal communications), 12(5)e (commercial confidentiality) and 12(5)(f) (third party interests) of the EIRs applies to that information. The reasons why that exception(s) applies are explained in the Annex to this letter.

Annex - Reasons for not providing information

An exception applies

An exception under regulation 10(4)(e), regulation 10(5)(e) and regulation 10(5)(f) of the EIRs applies to some of the information you have requested. These regulations relate to personal information, internal communications, and third party information (including commercially confidential information).

These exceptions (apart from regulation 10(4)(e) on personal information are subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. We recognise that there is some public interest in release because it promotes open and transparent sharing of information. . However, this is outweighed by the public interest in enabling internal discussion of proposals and policies and the ability to provide advice. In addition, there is public interest in ensuring that information shared by a third party in confidentiality is not disclosed, particularly when it related to commercial confidentiality.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

EIR 202500447931 - Information Released - Annex

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