Letter sent to chiefs of crisishit plant by MP

Two politicians have written to the bosses of the closure-threatened biodiesel plant in Newarthill.

Argent Energy is currently in a period of consultation with staff, with its future under threat.

The company claim “market conditions” have put severe economic pressures on biodiesel production facilities in the UK over the past two years and have forced the move.

Marion Fellows, MP for Motherwell and Wishaw, and Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, both visited the plant following the announcement and have now penned a letter to management which outlines employees’concerns, and calls for an explanation as to why the plant won’t be sold rather than “mothballed”.

The SNP parliamentarians have called for“the fullest possible release of all relevant material and evidence to employee representatives in relation to Argent Energy’s processes and strategies”.

They also raised employees’concerns that the North Lanarkshire plant was the only one considered for closure despite its favourable productivity and profitability when compared to the company’s other plants.

Argent Energy Group produces secondgeneration biodiesel made from waste fats and oils. The distilled product can be directly blended with conventional diesel and used as a fuel mainly for road transport.

The company has a plant at Stanlow in Cheshire with its headquarters in nearby Ellesmere Port. It boasts an annual production of 240,000 metric tonnes, which is used to power trucks and buses.

Established in 2001, production began in Newarthill in 2005 with 55,000 tons a year.

They acquired Amsterdam Biodiesel inn the Netherlands in 2018 and their production and storage facility has the capability of producing 100,000 tonnes. It also features four-lane cleaning facilities for tankers.

The company is expanding its operations on the continent, planning to triple capacity, at the same time it is closing its Scottish plant.

Following the announcement of the proposed closure, chief executive officer Louise Calviou said:“This has been the hardest decision for us to make and is one we have not taken lightly.

“After careful consideration of market conditions and our strategic goals for global decarbonisation efforts, we believe it is a necessary step we need to take.”