Latest news with #ProjectWillow
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Hundreds of jobs face risk at major Scots firm – with ‘400 more axed every two weeks' warning
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HUNDREDS of Scots oil and gas jobs are set to be axed - with the worst to come. Trade union bosses warn that over 140 jobs with the contractor Altrad, who provided operational support to the Petroineos oil refinery in Grangemouth, face losing their job at the end of June. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Petroineos oil refinery site in Grangemouth is set to close completely Credit: Getty 3 Unite union are urging both governments to speed up the process to transform the site Credit: PA The contractors provide several critical support services between Grangemouth and Mossanman chemical factory in Cowdenbeath. The Fife-based complex consists of two neighbouring plants: the Fife Natural Gas Liquids (FNGL) Plant operated by Shell U.K. Limited and the Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) operated by ExxonMobil Chemical Limited. Altrad blames the cuts on a work slowdown and ExxonMobil's cost-saving measures. Union bosses are now warning of an 'avalanche' of redundancies, with up to 400 jobs disappearing every fortnight from the sector. At least 98 jobs are already being slashed at Mossmorran, while other contractors Bilfinger, is dropping 10 roles, and Kaefer is cutting 55. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham slammed the UK and Scottish governments for failing to protect workers, saying: 'This is an unfolding jobs crisis in Scotland's oil and gas industry. 'They're accelerating huge losses without any credible jobs plan in place.' A damning report from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen has revealed the workforce could shrink by 400 jobs every fortnight for the next five years. The UK's oil and gas workforce is estimated to have declined by around 5,000 jobs, from 120,000 in 2023 to around 115,000 in 2024. It said in 'low-case scenarios', where the UK makes 'slower progress' as the country transitions towards renewable energy, jobs in the oil and gas workforce would further drop from 115,000 at present to 'as low as 57,000 by the early 2030s'. Grangemouth was doomed from the moment closure was raised, admits Scotland Secretary An impact assessment by PWC found that the Grangemouth refinery made an economic contribution of £403.6m per annum, and almost 3,000 workers were reliant on the refinery's operations. Earlier this year, ministers floated nine options for Grangemouth's future, but warned it would take £35 billion of private investment to turn it into a green energy hub. The Project Willow document says SAF operations would commence in 2035, with a capital expenditure of up to £2.1 billion required. Up to 270 staff would run the plant. Unite wants the government to fast-track projects like transforming Grangemouth into a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production hub, but says the lack of action is causing a 'domino effect' of job losses across the supply chain. Unite's Scottish secretary Derek Thomson said: 'Scotland is in serious danger of losing thousands of highly skilled jobs while creating no new opportunities in greener industries for workers to transition into.' A UK Government spokesperson said: 'We have taken rapid steps to deliver the next generation of good jobs for North Sea workers in a fair and orderly transition as part of our Plan for Change, including by making the biggest investment in offshore wind and two first-of-a-kind carbon capture storage clusters. 3 Over 140 contractors are set to lose their jobs by the end of the month Credit: Alamy 'This comes alongside Great British Energy, headquartered in Aberdeen, which has already announced a £300 million investment into British supply chains, unlocking significant investment and helping to create thousands of skilled jobs.' A spokesman for the refinery's owners Petroineos previously said: 'The publication of the first Project Willow report is a milestone event for Grangemouth that could mark the beginning of a transformation for the whole cluster and, in time, create many more jobs and growth opportunities across a variety of related industries in Scotland.'
The National
2 days ago
- Business
- The National
More than 140 jobs at Fife chemical plant face redundancy
Unite the union has said the oil and gas industry in Scotland is being hit by an 'avalanche' of job losses as hundreds of Grangemouth and Mossmorran-based contractors face unemployment in the coming weeks. More than 140 jobs with the contractor Altrad, who provided operational support to the Petroineos oil refinery in Grangemouth, face losing their job at the end of June, the union has warned. Altrad held a number of contracts and undertook several critical support services at the refinery, including access, thermal insulation and protective coatings. READ MORE: Britain was 'extension of Scotland', suggest medieval texts uncovered by historian The firm has also announced at least 98 redundancies at the Mossmorran site, claiming a downturn in work and cost savings being imposed by ExxonMobil for the decision. Further job losses at Mossmorran are also taking place with other contractors, as Bilfinger has issued 10 redundancy notices, while Kaefer is cutting 55 jobs. Sharon Graham (below), Unite's general secretary, has called on the UK and Scottish governments to do more to help protect oil and gas workers. (Image: PA) She said: 'There is an avalanche of redundancies taking place across Scotland's oil and gas industry. 'Theses job losses highlight what Unite has been saying about the unfolding jobs crisis in the oil and gas industry. 'The reality is that the UK and Scottish governments are failing to protect thousands of jobs. Government policy is also accelerating these huge losses without any credible jobs plan in place.' The redundancies at Mossmorran follow a report by Robert Gordon University which warned that the UK oil and gas energy workforce could shrink by 400 jobs every two weeks for the next five years. An impact assessment by PwC found that the Grangemouth refinery made an economic contribution of £403.6m per annum, and almost 3000 workers were reliant on the refinery's operations. (Image: free) In total, there are nine possible projects identified by Project Willow for the site. However, under Petroineos' proposals, most of these would not start for several years after the site had closed and jobs had been lost. Unite has argued that many of the identified projects could be fast-tracked and implemented immediately. The union has suggested that there could be a rapid move to convert the existing refinery into a Sustainable Aviation Fuel production hub. Derek Thomson, Unite's Scottish secretary, said that the job losses in Scotland's oil and gas industry are unnecessary and that there should be new energy projects underway to protect workers. He said: 'The historic end of oil refining at Grangemouth is now causing the widely predicted domino effect with hundreds of jobs being lost in the supply chain.' 'Mossmorran contractor jobs are also at risk which will add to the thousands of jobs lost, and the thousands more to come on the horizon. 'The job losses are unnecessary because there should be new energy projects underway like SAF production at Grangemouth. Scotland is in serious danger of losing thousands of highly skilled jobs while creating no new opportunities in greener industries for workers to transition into.' The Scottish and UK governments have been approached for comment.
The National
2 days ago
- Business
- The National
More than 140 jobs at Fife chemical plant to be made redundant
Unite the union has said the oil and gas industry in Scotland is being hit by an 'avalanche' of job losses as hundreds of Grangemouth and Mossmorran-based contractors face unemployment in the coming weeks. More than 140 jobs with the contractor Altrad, who provided operational support to the Petroineos oil refinery in Grangemouth, face losing their job at the end of June, the union has warned. Altrad held a number of contracts and undertook several critical support services at the refinery, including access, thermal insulation and protective coatings. READ MORE: Britain was 'extension of Scotland', suggest medieval texts uncovered by historian The firm has also announced at least 98 redundancies at the Mossmorran site, claiming a downturn in work and cost savings being imposed by ExxonMobil for the decision. Further job losses at Mossmorran are also taking place with other contractors, as Bilfinger has issued 10 redundancy notices, while Kaefer is cutting 55 jobs. Sharon Graham (below), Unite's general secretary, has called on the UK and Scottish governments to do more to help protect oil and gas workers. (Image: PA) She said: 'There is an avalanche of redundancies taking place across Scotland's oil and gas industry. 'Theses job losses highlight what Unite has been saying about the unfolding jobs crisis in the oil and gas industry. 'The reality is that the UK and Scottish governments are failing to protect thousands of jobs. Government policy is also accelerating these huge losses without any credible jobs plan in place.' The redundancies at Mossmorran follow a report by Robert Gordon University which warns that the UK oil and gas energy workforce could shrink by 400 jobs every two weeks for the next five years. An impact assessment by PWC found that the Grangemouth refinery made an economic contribution of £403.6m per annum, and almost 3000 workers were reliant on the refinery's operations. (Image: free) In total, there are nine possible projects identified by Project Willow for the site. However, under PetroIneos' proposals, most of these would not start for several years after the site had closed and jobs had been lost. Unite has argued that many of the identified projects could be fast-tracked and implemented immediately. The union has suggested that there could be a rapid move to convert the existing refinery into a Sustainable Aviation Fuel production hub. Derek Thomson, Unite's Scottish secretary, said that the job losses in Scotland's oil and gas industry are unnecessary and that there should be new energy projects underway to protect workers. He said: 'The historic end of oil refining at Grangemouth is now causing the widely predicted domino effect with hundreds of jobs being lost in the supply chain.' 'Mossmorran contractor jobs are also at risk which will add to the thousands of jobs lost, and the thousands more to come on the horizon. 'The job losses are unnecessary because there should be new energy projects underway like SAF production at Grangemouth. Scotland is in serious danger of losing thousands of highly skilled jobs while creating no new opportunities in greener industries for workers to transition into.' The Scottish and UK governments have been approached for comment.
The National
21-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Hundreds of former Grangemouth workers receiving skills support
The UK Government says 184 workers have already begun training following the Prime Minister's commitment to a 'training guarantee' for all refinery staff. Scotland's last oil refinery ceased processing at the beginning of May. Owners PetroIneos had said it was loss-making and less efficient than other refineries. In the months leading up to the shutdown, hundreds of workers took voluntary redundancy while a number of compulsory redundancies were also made. READ MORE: Nigel Farage's crocodile tears for 'British values' are a smokescreen Every PetroIneos worker affected by the decision to close the oil refinery has been provided the opportunity for one-to-one interviews with careers specialists at Forth Valley College. Keir Starmer's 'training guarantee' was made in February, alongside a £200 million pledge to invest in future opportunities for the industrial site. UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks will discuss the site's future at a taskforce meeting on Wednesday, alongside the Scottish Government's acting Energy Secretary Gillian Martin. Shanks (below) said: 'The workforce at Grangemouth is highly skilled with significant transferrable experience which our training commitment recognises by providing tailored support for workers into new employment opportunities. 'As well as continuing to work to secure the site's long-term industrial future, we want to ensure no worker is left behind and that they are equipped with the skills they need to secure good jobs.' Martin added: 'The Scottish Government's immediate focus has rightly been on supporting workers who have lost their jobs. (Image: PA) 'We committed up to £450,000 to ensure that they are supported and assisted to secure other employment and to contribute their valuable skills to Scotland's green economy. 'That is why we are also working to secure Grangemouth's role in that future and create an investible industrial strategy for the site. 'It's clear that real progress is being made on the findings from Project Willow.' One of those who received the training support was former refinery worker Steven Bell, who took part in a range of courses and was able to find work at a company involved in the pharmaceutical sector. Bell said: 'The support I received from Forth Valley College with retraining during the redundancy process has been exceptional. 'From my one-to-one meetings discussing courses that I would be interested in and what my future career path might be, right through to getting booked onto the courses I had selected, nothing was too much trouble.'
France 24
11-05-2025
- Business
- France 24
Scottish refinery closure spells trouble for green transition
When he was growing up, working at Grangemouth refinery meant you "had a job for life". But last month "everything changed", Petersen told AFP near the refinery, its giant cooling towers looming in the background. On April 29, owner Petroineos announced it had ended operations at the refinery after more than a century, triggering the first of a phased wave of redundancies, including Petersen's. The closure of the UK's oldest and Scotland's only refinery will result in more than 400 job cuts, which locals say the impoverished adjoining town of Grangemouth can ill afford. Petroineos -- a joint venture of British chemical giant Ineos and the Chinese state-owned PetroChina -– says the refinery was losing around $500,000 (£376,600) a day as a result of changing market conditions and carbon-cutting measures. It will be replaced by an import terminal, employing just 65 of the workforce including Chris Hamilton, who currently works as a refinery operator. Since Petroineos announced its intention to wind down operations in 2023, workers like Petersen and Hamilton who are members of the Unite trade union have been campaigning to "Keep Grangemouth Working". The campaign was not against ending polluting refinery work, but sought to "future-proof" the site and transition to low-carbon options such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) without job losses, explained Hamilton. However, Petroineos told AFP the "existing regulatory, policy and fiscal framework did not support low-carbon manufacturing" at Grangemouth, or any of the UK's other industrial clusters. A recent report by Scotland's Just Transition Commission (JTC) concluded that Grangemouth had seen an "accountability breakdown" on the part of the government and Petroineos. As a result, for the last six months, Petersen and his colleagues have been shutting down the refinery's units one-by-one. "It was really tough," said Petersen. "You got the feeling you're almost digging your own grave." Just transition Located between Glasgow and Edinburgh on the Firth of Forth, the refinery, which first opened in 1924, is part of a sprawling industrial site. Petroineos and the UK government this year published Project Willow, a feasibility study into low-carbon futures for the site. However, its suggestions -- including SAF production or plastic recycling -- would take years to implement and billions of pounds of investment. And £200 million pledged by the UK government for the site is contingent on private investment, which is not yet forthcoming. "With the refinery closing... workers can't wait a decade," Grangemouth's Westminster MP Brian Leishman told AFP. "A real, proper, just transition means that you take the workers and their communities along with you," he added. JTC commissioner Richard Hardy told AFP that the refinery's "car crash" closure was a "litmus test for just transition". He argued that the UK and devolved Scottish governments needed to do more to bridge the gap between shuttering polluting industries and the transition to greener energy -- which will accelerate closer to Britain's 2050 net zero target. Just last month, the UK had to step in to save hundreds of jobs at a British Steel plant after its Chinese owners decided to shut down the furnaces. Leishman had called for the government to do the same for Grangemouth. One of the UK's six remaining crude refineries, Grangemouth was the primary supplier of aviation fuel to Scotland's main airports and a major petrol and diesel supplier in the central belt. "Being in charge of our own destiny, for me, that's just plain common sense," said Leishman. 'Ghost town' Built around the refinery and once known as Scotland's "boomtown", Grangemouth has seen a steady decline in recent years. The population has fallen in the last decade to about 16,000 residents, with more expected to leave with the refinery's closure. Petersen said he would likely move elsewhere, and had even considered the Middle East. There are options there, he said: "But just not here. "It's going to turn into a ghost town," he added. In the run-down town centre dotted with half-shuttered shop fronts, the local butcher Robert Anderson said he was already losing business. "We don't see them anymore", he said of the workers in their high-visibility vests. Hannah Barclay, a homelessness support worker, told AFP that the refinery employed many of her friends. For a "lot of people here, uni and college and further education, it is not an option," said the 19-year-old. The refinery closing is "taking away so much opportunity for people", and leaving behind an "uncertain" future. "It's just quite disheartening to see all these young people who should be really excited for the future, who are just scared." © 2025 AFP
