Grangemouth oil refinery, in Scotland, has stopped processing crude oil after a century of operations, its owner Petroineos has confirmed. In September, the company announced refining activities would cease in 2025 as it transitions to becoming an import terminal for finished fuels.
Dating back to 1924, the site on the south bank of the Firth of Forth is home to the UK’s oldest oil refinery. It is being closed down by Petroineos, with the loss of 430 of the 2,000 jobs based at the sprawling 1,700-acre industrial complex. Petroineos has been operating as an import terminal for several months in parallel with refinery cessation activities.
Iain Hardie, regional head of legal and external affairs for the company says: ‘Petroineos has invested £50m in creating a modern import and distribution terminal capable of receiving finished fuels by sea for onward distribution to customers around the country. From today, we will be importing all the products necessary to meet Scotland’s demand for transport fuels.’
Hardie adds: ‘Our colleagues have shown incredible commitment, dignity and resilience during months of uncertainty regarding the future of this facility, through the consultation period, phased shutdown and the start of refinery decommissioning. It has been a challenging period but their professionalism has ensured security of fuel supply to our customers across Scotland and beyond.’
