The closure has been branded “a disgrace and a betrayal of its workers”.
Staff were told about the closure plans in November (Image: Getty)
Production at a major UK chemical works site has ceased after its owner admitted to losing £1 million a week. The Mossmorran plant, which processed gas from the North Sea to meet industry and domestic power needs, was officially shut down after 40 years in operation on February 2, according to reports. Owner ExxonMobil informed its 400 employees of the decision to shut down the site in Fife, Scotland, in November, after it was deemed no longer economically viable.
Unite the Union hit out at the “premature” closure and suggested the UK Government had “failed” to prevent the loss of hundreds of skilled jobs. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is another nail in the coffin of the oil and gas industry, with jobs haemorrhaging on this Government’s watch. ExxonMobil’s decision to close Mossmorran ahead of schedule is a disgrace and a betrayal of its workers.”
Owner ExonMobil was making losses of £1 million a week (Image: Getty)
She added: “This is an enormously profitable multi-billion pound company and this unnecessary decision will have a devastating impact on the local community in Fife.”
A spokesperson for ExxonMobil told the BBC: “After more than 40 years of operations, Fife Ethylene Plant permanently shut down production on February 2.
“In the months ahead, the plant will be fully decommissioned and made safe for dismantling. We anticipate this process to be completed by early 2028.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously said that the plant was losing £1 million per week.
But critics have blamed UK Government policies for the closure of the chemical works site, pointing to the decision not to issue new licences for North Sea oil and gas exploration, hiking ethylene prices as a result.
Labour policies may have contributed to rising costs at the manufacturing plant (Image: Getty)
A Government spokesperson said it was committed to ensuring that the site and its workforce have a successful future.
They continued: “We explored every reasonable avenue to support Mossmorran and to suggest otherwise is disingenuous, and continue to engage with the company and wider sector to ensure we are doing everything we can to support the workers and find a viable future for the site.
“We know this is a difficult time for workers at Mossmorran and their families, which is why last week’s taskforce meeting saw us commit to ensuring all workers get a job interview at the Grangemouth cracker.”
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes also said £9 million had been committed over a three-year period to “mitigate the impact of the plant’s closure” for workers and identify “new investment opportunities” for the site.
