Grangemouth plans to be announced 'soon' - minister

The UK government's energy minister has said there will be "announcements soon" on the future of Grangemouth.

Michael Shanks, who is also the MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, said the government was exploring a range of "exciting and viable" projects to secure a long-term transition for the site.

Owners of the refinery, Petroineos, ceased crude oil processing in April, with a planned closure this summer resulting in the loss of 430 jobs.

Shanks said more than 80 potential investors in the site had come forward, with Scottish Enterprise handling due diligence on proposed projects.

However the Scottish Conservatives have criticised Labour's approach to Grangemouth, saying it is "managed decline".

Both the UK and Scottish governments have pledged millions of pounds to support the site, while the results of a £1.5m feasibility study - looking at potential low-carbon alternative uses - was published in March.

Speaking to the BBC's Sunday Show, Shanks said discussions with investors on Grangemouth's future was ongoing and that they were focused on the "long-term".

He said: "We've had some really positive meetings around potential investors, in fact there's more than 80 investors who have come forward.

"I'm hopeful we will have some announcements soon. We have some really exciting, viable projects coming forward that will deliver jobs at Grangemouth long into the future."

Earlier this week, Jan Robertson, Grangemouth director for Scottish Enterprise, said she had received a "mixture of inquiries" from businesses, including those interested in the site as well as some which "have a good opportunity to become projects in the relatively near-term".

"What I mean by that is the next three to four years," she told Holyrood's economy and fair work committee.

"Our approach very much at the moment is working with those and working as closely and quickly as we can to make the progress that we want to see in Grangemouth."

Scotland's Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said at the committee that the "door's not closed" to companies and inquiries could still be made about working at Grangemouth, adding that Petroineos had also received approaches.

Ms Martin said she was hopeful for the future of Grangemouth.

"We could look back five years and start pointing fingers, but the most important thing is that in the last year - actually the last six months - Project Willow and the task force have moved things along in a way that's been swift, agile, focused," she said.

"I am feeling so much more confident than I did this time last year in the prospects for that site."

Shanks' remarks come days after the UK government confirmed £200m would be provided to progress the Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage scheme in Aberdeenshire.

Acorn said part of that investment – which it claimed would secure 18,000 jobs in the energy sector that would otherwise have been lost – would involve capturing CO2 at Grangemouth and transporting it to storage facilities under the North Sea.

UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the Acorn scheme – which will be based at the St Fergus gas terminal near Peterhead – would "support industrial renewal in Scotland".

Shanks said the Acorn investment, announced as part of chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending review, was designed to lure in further funding from private investment.

He described it as "development funding" and said he was "confident" other investors would come forward.

Shanks also said current North Sea oil and gas projects would be allowed to run to completion but reiterated that no further licenses for drilling would be granted.

Reeves' spending review also committed £14.2bn of investment to build the new Sizewell C nuclear plant on the Suffolk coastline, creating 10,000 jobs.

Shanks said that Scotland was missing out on similar investment, and repeated calls for the Scottish government to end its "ideological position" of presumption against nuclear power.

The SNP has long rejected calls to end its effective ban, saying investment would be "better placed in areas of renewable energy".

Shanks said: "I'm not going to make any apologies for the government investing in nuclear where thousands of highly skilled jobs could be delivered including in Scotland if it wasn't for the ideological position of the SNP to block new nuclear.

"We could be delivering those well paid, skilled jobs here in Scotland but they've turned their face against that and they'll have to answer for that."

Jackie Dunbar, the SNP MSP for Aberdeen Donside said that the money spent on nuclear plants was a "waste" which would not change what people pay for energy in Scotland.

She said: "The evidence shows that nuclear is expensive, takes decades to build and the toxic waste is a risk to local communities. The SNP is clear that Scotland's future should be in cheaper, safer and cleaner renewables which support more jobs."

The Scottish Conservatives' energy spokesman, Douglas Lumsden, described Shanks' comments as "tone deaf," accusing the Labour government of "economic vandalism".

He reiterated calls by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch for new licences to be issued for oil drilling in the North Sea.

He said: "Labour has sold our oil and gas industry down the river – and the SNP's cheering them on.

"Michael Shanks talks about managing the transition, but this is managed decline. At this pace, we'll lose 400 jobs every two weeks, like shutting Grangemouth twice a month.

"We need to bin the Energy Profits Levy and lift the ban on new licences - before it's too late."

The latest escalation in the Middle East has sent oil prices soaring with questions about what that could mean for the world economy.

The UK energy minister Michael Shanks told the BBC's Sunday Show his department is "preparing for all scenarios" as there's concern motorists could be hit hard with a doubling of the price at the pumps.

As many focus on life "beyond oil", it's a stark reminder that it's still the vital fuel for the world economy.

Opponents have claimed this government doesn't back the North Sea enough and that increasing production locally could provide energy security.

He said it doesn't matter where the oil comes from as it's still subject to the volatility of international oil markets.

As Scotland is steered into that post-oil world, the minister also expressed his support for the north-east sector to ensure there's a "just transition".

He was once again critical of the SNP's stance against nuclear – but there's concern the UK government is directing too much of an investment towards that as part of the UK's energy mix.

Meanwhile, as the pipeline at the former Grangemouth oil refinery runs dry as production ends there was some good news.

Michael Shanks is hopeful of an announcement soon on its future.

His government's made £200m available to try to create a long-term future for the area and Scottish Enterprise is conducting "due diligence" on potential investors.

The remaining industry will watch with interest to see if this works – and judge how "just" this transition is.