Firms aim to revive former refinery site with 460 green jobs

NEW projects on the site of a former oil refinery could create hundreds of jobs in the coming years, with the help of cash from the UK and Scottish governments.

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Scottish Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said the announcements by two firms of plans to create up to 460 new jobs shows a “long term, new industrial future at Grangemouth is achievable”.

Scottish biotech firm MiAlgae has revealed plans to create 130 direct full-time jobs in Grangemouth over the next five years - and support 180 further posts - by making fish-free Omega 3 supplements using leftover byproducts from the whisky production process.

With the plans announced in the wake of the closure of what was Scotland’s only oil refinery back in April, MiAlgae is being helped with £1.5 million of funding from both governments.

Meanwhile, Celtic Renewables could create up to 149 jobs in Grangemouth by 2030 after it received £6.23 million of cash from Holyrood ministers for pre-construction work for a bio-refinery at Grangemouth to support the manufacture of “green” chemicals.