Hundreds of jobs to go as Fife chemical plant shuts down

PETROCHEMICAL giant ExxonMobil is preparing to close part of its plant in Fife, with around 400 workers told their jobs are at risk.

- BY BEN BORLAND

Local MP Melanie Ward

The Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) in Mossmorran is to shut down in February, with the company blaming the UK’s current economic and political environment.

The Texas-based firm said: “The Fife Ethylene Plant has been a cornerstone of chemical production in the UK for 40 years, and its closure reflects the challenges of operating in a policy environment that is accelerating the exit of vital industries, domestic manufacturing, and the high-value jobs they provide”

Murdo Fraser, the Scots Tory business spokesman and MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said the closure was “yet another hammer blow for the Scottish economy”. He added: “It will also affect many other suppliers and contractors and, in the wake of the redundancies at Grangemouth, have a devastating impact on the local community.