Mcallan refuses to confirm when key Grangemouth report will be out
A scottish minister has refused to confirm if a key Government report into the future of Grangemouth’s oil refinery will be published this month.
Scottish Labour MSPS pressed just transition secretary Màiri Mcallan yesterday on whether she would be publishing the just transition plan for the Grangemouth facility this month, which will set out the next steps for the Central Belt site.
However, Ms Mcallan would only commit to saying the report would be published “very soon indeed”, and said the details would be finalised shortly – but would not give a definite date for publication.
Her statement came amid reports of a potential stay of execution for the oil refinery, with suggestions the site’s hydrocracker unit has been repaired and started up again in an outcome that could allow the facility to remain open in its existing form for longer.
The plant may now instead close in mid-2025 or even later, it has been claimed.
Ms Mcallan was asked for an update on the report’s publication during a topical question on the future of Grangemouth in the Scottish Parliament.
She said the plan would be a “truly first-of-its-kind vision” for Grangemouth and would set out the long-term plan for the site until 2045.
Ms Mcallan added: “Beyond that vision, the plan will also set out and chart the series of actions required to secure that vision, focusing on securing long-term investment, developing technical and commercially viable solutions for manufacturing, and fostering the correct policy environment for all that. Work to finalise the just transition plan is underway and I expect it to be published very soon.”
Labour MSP Daniel Johnson then pressed Ms Mcallan again, saying she needed to confirm the report would be published in May. In response, Ms Mcallan said: “Work on the vision and actions that will be set out in the just transition plan for Grangemouth is nearing completion – I expect the plan to be published very soon indeed.”
Last year Petroineos, a joint venture between Petrochina and Ineos, announced the Grangemouth oil refinery would continue until at least spring 2025, but would be transitioned into an oil import terminal after that point.
There are wide concerns about the future of jobs at the site as it is expected around 400 people will be made redundant. This is because there are around 500 members of staff, and only around 100 would be needed for the new oil import terminal, plus a further 50 for decommissioning and demolition work, which would take three years.
Ms Mcallan said: “The Scottish Government continues to engage extensively with the owners of the Grangemouth refinery and is committed to securing a long-term sustainable future for the industrial cluster.
“The future configuration of the Grangemouth refinery is a commercial matter for the owners. However, we have a track record of supporting businesses at Grangemouth as they progress their low-carbon projects, and are committed to working collaboratively with Petroineos to accelerate its own projects at the site.”