Unite has demanded urgent action from both the Scottish and UK governments to secure the future of the Grangemouth refinery and transition it into a hub for sustainable air fuel (SAF) production.
The call comes after First Minister John Swinney announced an additional £25 million investment in the Grangemouth Just Transition Fund, bringing the Scottish Government’s total commitment to £87 million.
Despite the funding boost, Unite warns that more decisive steps are needed to protect jobs and ensure the refinery plays a crucial role in the UK’s green energy future.
The plan by Petroineos to close the refinery and turn it into an import terminal will result in significant job losses, with most workers expected to leave within 18 months.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham welcomed the Scottish Government’s investment but criticised both governments for failing to act sooner, stressing that workers have already been let down.
She stated that Unite has a clear plan to turn Grangemouth into a SAF production site, highlighting that the skilled workforce is already in place to make this transition a reality.
Graham pointed to the UK Government’s own green energy targets, stating that it needs domestic SAF production to meet them, and urged immediate action to establish Grangemouth as a key contributor.
Unite has outlined a detailed strategy demonstrating how refineries worldwide have successfully transitioned to SAF and biofuels, arguing that co-producing SAF and petroleum initially would protect both jobs and critical expertise.
Labour’s Rachel Reeves recently linked support for Heathrow’s expansion to the adoption of SAF, yet the UK Government has not included Grangemouth in its SAF transition plans, despite the refinery being vital to achieving its 2030 production goals.
While Petroineos is only making 500 direct workers redundant, a wider impact assessment by PWC estimates that 2,800 jobs rely on the refinery, contributing £403.6 million to the economy.
Unite Scottish Secretary Derek Thomson welcomed the Scottish Government’s investment but warned that Scotland faces an “economic earthquake” if the refinery closes, with a potential £4 billion economic shock over the next decade.
Thomson emphasised that the timeline for creating large-scale new jobs through Project Willow is too long and does nothing to address the immediate crisis facing Grangemouth workers.
Unite has vowed to keep fighting for the future of the refinery, arguing that these skilled workers must be at the heart of any transition to a greener economy.
The union continues to press both governments for urgent action to secure the site’s future, prevent mass job losses, and ensure that Grangemouth plays a leading role in the UK’s green industrial revolution.
