An urgent summit is needed to protect jobs at the Mossmorran gas plant after the shock announcement that Grangemouth’s oil refinery will close, the Greens have claimed.
Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Mark Russell said a blueprint is needed to ensure workers at the site, near Cowdenbeath, are not abandoned as Scotland shifts away from fossil fuels.
Petroineos revealed last month the Grangemouth site, which it owns, will cease operations in 2025 to become a fuel import terminal.
That came as a major blow for dozens of staff at the plant who live in Fife as trade union chiefs vow they will fight to ensure jobs are safe.
Hundreds of people are employed by Shell and Exxon Mobil at Mossmorran, which is located just 25 miles away from Grangemouth.
Mr Ruskell said: “The shock announcement over Grangemouth’s refinery shows the dangers of any change that is planned without workers, their unions and the community involved.
“We cannot and must not take risks with Mossmorran.
“There are credible plans on the table to decarbonise the plant, there is a way to make this happen. But we need all the relevant parties to recommit to its future.”
Mr Ruskell’s party, who share power with the SNP, favour a quick shift away from oil and gas to protect the environment.
But political rivals claim immediately leaving behind the fossil fuels sector would risk jobs and harm Scotland’s economy.
A Scottish Tory spokesperson said: “It’s sheer hypocrisy from the Green’s to talk about protecting jobs at Mossmorran when they would decimate the oil and gas industry overnight.”
Earlier this year hundreds of workers at Mossmorran went on strike due to alleged safety concerns.
The Fife plant has repeatedly been at the centre of controversies due to flaring which can often be seen from miles away when gas is being burned.
Protests have previously been held near the site where activists and locals voice their fears over harmful chemicals being released into the air near their homes.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is committed to working with industry to secure a sustainable future that reflects our ambitions for decarbonisation and a just transition for Scotland’s industrial sector.
“Work to deliver a just transition to a net zero energy system continues at pace.”
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