Grangemouth staff sent redundancy letters ahead of closure

Some workers at the Grangemouth refinery have been sent redundancy letters by their employer Petroineos.

The site, which is Scotland’s only oil refinery, is set to close by the summer with the loss of more than 400 jobs.

It is understood the majority of workers have agreed voluntary redundancy deals, and job losses will be spread out over the next 18 months.

Union leaders had hoped that the central Scotland facility could remain open for longer to provide time for a greener fuel alternative to be established at the site.

The Unite union said the move was a “national disgrace” and accused the UK and Scottish governments of being “missing in action” as the closure takes effect.

Petroineos said the closure of Grangemouth was due to it being unable to compete with sites in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

The company said the decision would “safeguard fuel supply for Scotland” by converting the site into a terminal able to import petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and kerosene into Scotland.

The shift is expected to keep around 65 of the roughly 500 jobs on the site.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of trade union Unite, said the closure was a “needless act of industrial vandalism”.

“There is a clear plan for the future of Grangemouth in place,” she said. “Yet the UK and Scottish governments are missing in action.”

Ms Graham suggested Grangemouth could be used to produce sustainable aviation fuel.

“Just last week the UK government announced the expansion of Heathrow and said that sustainable air fuel (SAF) will be needed,” she said.

“Well, Grangemouth can produce SAF – where is the joined up thinking?

“This the moment for the government to lead and stand up to Petroineos in the national interest. Petroineos must allow the transition to SAF and biofuels.”

Workers held a rally at the refinery last summer in protest at the plans

The UK and Scottish governments have been approached for comment.

Petroineos said it expected the new distribution hub for finished fuels to open by early summer.

A spokesman said: “The process of safely transitioning the site from a refinery into an import terminal is under way and will continue over a number of months.

“Fully winding down and dismantling the refinery is anticipated to take around five years in total, so the new terminal business will operate in parallel with this process.”

The Grangemouth refinery was opened by BP in 1924 and expanded into petrochemicals in the 1950s,

It is the main supplier of aviation fuel for Scotland’s airports and a major supplier of petrol and diesel ground fuels across the Central Belt.

Ineos acquired the site in 2005 and is responsible for the entire plant, while the the refinery itself is owned by Petroineos – a joint venture between Ineos and PetroChina.