A SYNTHETIC ropes manufacturer has announced the closure of its Grangemouth facility due to not expecting “significant incoming new demand” as dozens of jobs are set to be lost.
Bridon Bekaert Ropes Group (BBRG), which produces synthetic ropes for the floating offshore wind industry, reportedly made the “strategic decision” to close its Grangemouth site at the end of last week.
The firm confirmed it will close its facility at Grangemouth Docks next month which will include the redundancy of the “majority” of the 30 people employed there.
The Belgium-based company specialises in steel wire transformation and coating technologies for low-carbon construction and green energy projects.
A BBRG spokesperson told The Falkirk Herald that the firm is working towards the “best solution” for its employees impacted by the site closure.
They said: “In the context of challenging market conditions affecting customer demand, we regret to announce we are closing our BBRG facility in Grangemouth, where we produce synthetic ropes for the floating offshore wind industry.
“This impacts the majority of the 30 jobs at the site. The main market for our innovative solutions in floating offshore wind is facing substantial delays. In the short term we don’t expect significant incoming new demand for the Grangemouth facility, and we need to adapt our operational footprint in line with demand to secure future performance of our organization.
“We do not take this decision lightly. We are working towards the best solution for our employees, together with the employee representatives, to minimize the social impact as much as possible.”
They added: “We remain committed to being a market leader in floating wind, and serving first farm scale demand, both globally and in our local Scottish market. We still believe in the future of renewable energy as part of the energy transition.
“Synthetic ropes for floating offshore wind will remain an important part of Bekaert’s strategy for growth, including serving the future Scottish floating wind demand from local manufacture.
“Awaiting the transition, we continue to support the current customer demand for synthetic ropes for conventional offshore energy production.”
