Government was not warned about Grangemouth closure says minister
A minister has rejected claims the Scottish Government was warned of the Grangemouth refinery closure years before the announcement.
Scottish Energy Secretary Mairi Mcallan said it is “crystal clear” ministers were only told of the plans in November 2023– the same time as workers and the UK Government.
Owners Petroineos announced the refinery will operate as normal until at least spring 2025, however it will then begin transitioning to an oil import terminal.
Following a ministerial statement yesterday, opposition MSPS grilled Ms Mcallan on the exact timeline the Government was informed. It follows reports in The Herald earlier in the week that Iain Hardie, head of legal and external affairs at Petroineos Manufacturing Scotland, said Scottish Government officials were “aware of the concept, the studies and planning for that potential outcome, for well over a year”.
Ms Mcallan said discussions had been ongoing between the Scottish Government and Petroineos for a number of years. But she said: “It’s crystal clear that this decision was made to us at the same time as it was to the wider community. I was equally clear in my statement that as a responsible Government, we have been engaged for years with the owners and operators of Scotland’ s central industrial complex.”
Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Douglas Lumsden said: “News of the Grangemouth transition in November was shocking to many of its workers, but not to th es np government who have known this was coming for two years.”
This decision was made to us at the same time as it was to the wider community