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BBC Scotland’s environment correspondent, Kevin Keane, reports that the future of Grangemouth lies in its transformation into Scotland’s green energy industrial hub, shifting away from its historical reliance on fossil fuels. The site, home to the UK’s oldest oil refinery dating back to 1924, is facing closure by owner Petroineos, leading to the loss of 400 jobs out of the 2,000 based there. The UK government is set to release Project Willow, a report detailing the options for Grangemouth, expected to emphasize the shift to green energy for power production and sustainable product manufacturing.
Situated on the south bank of the Firth of Forth, Grangemouth benefits from strategic assets such as a sheltered port receiving shipments of shale gas, along with extensive electricity connections and pipeline access to northern England and the north east of Scotland. Despite being a major producer of chemicals for plastics, Grangemouth stands as Scotland’s most polluting site, contributing to 7.2% of the country’s emissions in 2022. To address this, a carbon capture and storage scheme, the Acorn Project, is proposed to reduce carbon footprint by capturing emissions and storing them underground.
With the refinery’s closure, efforts are underway to establish an import terminal to maintain the supply of aviation fuel to Edinburgh Airport. The political landscape is also shifting towards renewable sources for jet fuel, mandating a transition to sustainable aviation fuel production. Options for Grangemouth include the development of a “biorefinery” using waste products for chemical production, along with advanced recycling techniques to produce high-quality plastics. Plans to increase hydrogen production by 2030 are aligned with Scotland’s goal of generating green hydrogen from wind energy for industrial use.
While Grangemouth lacks suitable conditions for hydrogen storage, potential solutions include building storage units or piping hydrogen from distant sites. The impending release of the Project Willow report will provide insights into the costs, job creation potential, and economic value of transitioning Grangemouth into a sustainable energy hub. Securing public and private investment will be crucial in ensuring a prosperous future for a site deeply rooted in the fossil fuel industry
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