Mon, 17 Mar 2025

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 Grangemouth: A new dawn for the home of UK's oldest oil refinery?

Its history was built on fossil fuels - but now the site's future depends on its reinvention as a green energy industrial hub.
The site has several built-in benefits: a sheltered port receiving weekly shipments of shale gas from the US since 2016; central location with excellent connectivity through electricity pylons and underground pipelines linking it to northern Scotland and England; and existing oil and gas pipelines that could be repurposed for greener fuels like hydrogen or exhaust gases. However, Grangemouth is currently the most polluting site in Scotland, responsible for 7.2% of the country's emissions in 2022, according to the Just Transition Commission. A carbon capture and storage scheme called Acorn Project is seen as a vital step to reduce its carbon footprint by catching planet-warming gases before they enter the atmosphere. Campaigners want a clear signal that the project will receive full backing from ministers after it missed out on the first round of UK government support. The report will also likely propose creating a new import terminal to replace the closing refinery and maintain the delivery of aviation fuel to Edinburgh Airport, as well as facilities for sustainable aviation fuel and other green industries. Other potential options include a biorefinery using waste whisky and food in chemical production processes, advanced recycling methods producing high-quality plastics, and increased hydrogen production. However, Grangemouth lacks suitable underground storage conditions for large quantities of hydrogen, requiring expensive above-ground units or long-distance piping. The Project Willow report is expected to provide figures on the costs, potential jobs, and economic value of these propositions. Securing public and private investment will be a significant challenge, but discussing these plans early can increase the chances of securing a long-term future for the site.
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