XR protesters block entry to Ineos refinery

Climate activists have blocked the gates of the Ineos refinery at Grangemouth with boats in a protest against pollution.

Extinction Rebellion (XR) Scotland claims Ineos is Scotland’s biggest climate polluter and is staging the blockade as par t of a programme of action.

Small groups of no more than six people locked themselves together at the gates.

Two boats are being used to block the entrances to the refinery and the headquarters.

Ineos said the site was operating normally.

Annie Lane, 26, a campaigner from Glasgow, said: “Ineos Grangemouth is Scotland’s largest climate polluter. It is Scotland’s only crude oil refinery.

“It also stores fracked gas from the States. Given the widely assumed ‘ ban’ on fracking in Scotland, for fracked gas which harms communities worldwide to still be processed here is outrageously hypocritical.

“We are here to expose the climate destruction that Ineos is causing. We are running out of time, with the climate crisis affecting so many in the global south already.”

Campaigners held up banners stating “No Future in Fossil Fuels” and “Climate Justice = Social Justice”.

Extinction Rebellion Scotland said Covid- 19 safe ty precautions are being taken, including face masks, social distancing and use of hand sanitiser.

Ineos said between 2009 and 2019, emissions from its Grangemouth site have reduced by 37% and from the chemicals business by 43%.

An Ineos spokesman said: “Our sites continue to explore ways to reduce our emissions.

“As more and more energy-intensive manufacturing industries in Scotland close down, then it is inevitable that those which the Scottish economy so heavily rely on will stand out above the rest in terms of their emissions.

“Observers should be left in no doubt: manufacturing products in the UK we rely on every day, every week, every year reduces carbon footprint from importing such items, ensures compliance with the strictest environmental and safety standards and delivers carbon savings through their applications, ‘ light- weighting’ vehicles, components for wind turbines and so on.

“We do our utmost to do this as efficiently ( and environmentally responsibly) as possible.”

SPEAKING UP: Extinction Rebellion protestors outside the Grangemouth refinery.