Hundreds of employees have been informed that their jobs are at risk at ExxonMobil’s Fife facility, as the petrochemical giant prepares to shut down part of the site.
The company has confirmed that the Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) at Mossmorran will close in February, ending more than 40 years of ethylene production. ExxonMobil said it would begin a full consultation process with staff ahead of the shutdown.
A company spokesperson said the decision was driven by the UK’s current economic and policy environment, combined with challenging market conditions, which meant the plant no longer had a “competitive future”.
The firm added that it had been searching for a potential buyer for several months without success, and would move to clean and dismantle the site once production ceases.
Shell, which processes natural gas liquids at the wider Mossmorran complex, said its operations would continue unaffected. Its St Fergus plant in Aberdeenshire, which supplies natural gas to ExxonMobil’s facility, will also remain in operation.
Scotland’s Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, described the closure announcement as “extremely disappointing”.
In a statement, she said the Scottish government would establish a task force to consider what support can be provided, and urged the UK government to step in to help affected workers.
“The news of the expected closure of the Fife Ethylene Plant and the loss of such high-value jobs is a very significant blow to Scotland’s economy,” she said.
ExxonMobil to close part of petrochem facility in Scotland
