Grangemouth closure ‘most likely outcome’

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Grangemouth closure ‘most likely outcome’

7 minutes ago

By Kevin Keane, BBC Scotland environment correspondent

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Petroineos announced in November that the Grangemouth refinery is to close

An expert body set up to protect communities from the economic impact of tackling climate change says the closure of Scotland’s only oil refinery is now “the most likely outcome”.

It was announced in November that Petroineos, the owner of the Grangemouth refinery, intended to cease operations by 2025, putting 400 jobs at risk.

The Just Transition Commission – appointed by the Scottish government – has been exploring the potential impact of the decision and whether more could be done to protect the livelihoods of those who depend on the plant.

Its report said despite the refinery’s closure being “clearly foreseeable” inadequate planning had left the town unprotected.

Meanwhile, unions representing workers at the site say talks in recent days involving the Scottish and *** governments have given them fresh cause for optimism.

‘Unjust transition’

The Just Transition Commission includes experts and leaders from trade unions, voluntary organisations, environmental groups, business and industry.

Its purpose is to advise the Scottish government on how to cut carbon emissions in a fair way.

The term “just transition” means shifting from one industry to another – in this case a greener one – without the devastating impact on communities which was felt when the coal mining and steel industries ended.

When the announcement of the intention to close Grangemouth was made, the commission said it would be a key test of whether a just transition could be a reality.

However, its report says the lack of effective planning by governments means the current path will deliver a “disorderly and unjust transition”.

It concludes that the Scottish government’s strategy for ensuring industrial operators deliver on their commitments is “unclear”.

Grangemouth is one of six refineries in the *** and the only one in Scotland.

It was first established in the 1920s with the site expanding into petrochemicals in the 1950s.

But the Just Transition report says that over the years wealth has been “extracted” from a community which has experienced little benefit from the industrial activity it hosts.

It adds that the town is now in “urgent need of greater investment”.

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Commission co-chair Satwat Rehman says any public money for ‘just transition’ must have conditions attached

Satwat Rehman, the co-chair of the commission, says most of the eight months since the closure announcement have shown little signs of an “orderly and just transition”.

But she welcomed a ****** commitment made last week between the Scottish and new *** governments to explore available options.

Ms Rehman said: “It shows that people are prioritising this, are seeing the significance of this – not just locally, for the people and communities here – but nationally.”

She added that any public money used to support a green transition must come with conditions attached to ensure there are economic benefits to the surrounding community.

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Site union convener Chris Hamilton believes there’s enough time to stop its closure

The plan for Grangemouth is to replace the existing refinery with a fuel import terminal which would cut the number of jobs from about 450 to 100.

It would take around three years to decommission the site, during which time about 300 jobs would be retained.

One option being considered is to replace it with a facility creating plant-based biofuels – such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) – but there are barriers around where the plants to feed the facility would be grown.

In the King’s speech this week, it was confirmed that the new *** government intends to produce a bill which would create a funding mechanism to support SAF production.

Chris Hamilton, a plant operator at Petroineos – who is also convener for the Unite union – believes an extension to the refinery would buy time for a new greener alternative to be established at the site.

He accepts the refinery at some point needs to move into “the energies of the future” but not on such a short timescale.

Mr Hamilton said: “For there to be a future that minimises job losses, we need a just transition here at Grangemouth and the only way in which that will be achieved is through an extension to the refinery.”

The Scottish government has been approached for comment.

Petroineos has declined to comment on the report.

‘No stone unturned’

A Scottish government spokeswoman said it was vital to secure a long term, sustainable future for Grangemouth.

She said the site and its workforce were crucial to Scotland’s economy and its transition to net zero.

“We will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of this mission and welcome the collaboration of our partners in the community, industry and in particular the *** government,” she said.

The spokeswoman said Scotland’s acting Energy Secretary Gillian Martin and *** Secretary of State Ed Miliband will co-chair the Grangemouth Future Industry Board Leadership Forum.

There will also be a draft Grangemouth Just Transition Plan published soon, she said.

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