A GROUP of Labour MPs have jointly written to both the UK and Scottish Governments urging them to secure a new industrial future for the site.
In letters sent to Foreign Secretary David Lammy and First Minister John Swinney, the MPs have called for a coordinated and cooperative drive to attract international investment into Project Willow – the renewable initiative developed in response to Petroineos’ planned closure of the refinery.
Petroineos, a joint venture between INEOS and the state-owned PetroChina and the owners of the Grangemouth plant, announced last year that it planned to close Scotland’s only oil refinery, with 400 jobs lost and plans to turn the site into an import-only terminal.
In a joint response to the closure plans, both the UK and Scottish Governments announced a £100 million package for the workers at the plant and the wider community and a £1.5m Project Willow study to identify new industrial opportunities in the area.
Gregor Poynton, Labour MP for Livingston, said that this is a “moment of crisis” for Grangemouth but added it is also a “moment of opportunity”.
He wrote: “Project Willow could anchor a clean industrial renaissance for Scotland. But it won’t happen by accident.
“We need embassies, trade offices and international networks working flat out to attract investment and identify partners who can help bring these technologies to scale.”
Poynton’s letter to the UK Government urges the Foreign Office and Department for Business and Trade to instruct embassies and consulates to actively promote the project.
The letter is jointly signed by Falkirk’s MP, Euan Stainbank MP, Stirling and Strathallan MP Chris Kane, Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman (below) and Bathgate and Linlithgow MP Kirsteen Sullivan.
Poynton’s letter to the Scottish Government calls for a similar push to promote investment opportunities through Scotland’s seven overseas offices.
He wrote: “The Scottish and UK Governments have made the right moves in committing funding and working together — but we now need action that matches the scale of the challenge.
“The refinery will shut its doors next year. Thousands of livelihoods, and the future of Scotland’s industrial base, are at stake. This demands urgency, internationalism, and coordination.”
Last month, Project Willow looked at more than 300 different technologies to identify what Grangemouth could best transition to in the future.
In the report nine best options for the site were identified, with these falling into three broader categories: waste recycling, bio-feedstocks, and offshore wind conduit projects.
The report said that around £3.5 billion in private investment will be needed for projects like hydrothermal plastic recycling, e-methanol and methanol-to-jet and second-generation bioethanol being identified as potential options.
Both the UK and Scottish Governments have been contacted for comment.
