In June 2025, the UK Government confirmed funding support for Acorn in the Spending Review, recognising the project’s strategic importance and its role as Scotland’s most advanced CCS project, driving economic growth and supporting energy security.

In May 2024, the Scottish Cluster published its Economic Impact Assessment, setting out the project’s potential contribution to economic growth, employment, and supply chain development across Scotland and the wider UK.

In July 2023, Acorn entered Track-2 having been selected as one of the two T&S systems to progress.

In March 2023, the UK Government launched Track-2 of the Cluster Sequencing process to advance two further T&S systems.

In 2021, Acorn was submitted as the transport and storage (T&S) system for the Scottish Cluster into Track-1 of the UK Government’s Cluster Sequencing process, securing Track-1 reserve status.

Following this decision, Acorn continued to work closely with government as the Reserve Cluster, with both the T&S system and associated CO₂ capture projects progressing technical development.