GREEN MSP Mark Ruskell has claimed the latest breech of regulations at Mossmorran raises fresh concerns about the future of the Petro Chemical complex.

SEPA has revealed that Shell have been fined over £40,000 for under-reporting greenhouse gas emissions between 2013 and 2015.

Mark Ruskell, a strong supporter of more assurances being obtained from the companies that operate the Fife NGL Plant, Shell; and Exxon/Mobil, who run the Fife Ethylene Plant, said: “This is a significant breach of regulations by Shell and yet another example of the company stumbling over environmental and safety compliance.

"Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions is a collective responsibility for all of society, and it’s not enough to just say sorry and move on.

"A lack of investment and an ageing plant means these errors are more and more likely to occur.

"The issues that need to be addressed in SEPA and the HSE’s current investigation are now stacking up, and it seriously needs to consider how safe this site is.”

Shell UK said that the company had identified an issue with an historical emissions reporting calculation at the Fife NGL Plant.

The firm corrected the calculation and immediately disclosed updated data to SEPA to rectify the error.

Shell stressed that they very much regretted the situation as the company prioritised the safety of staff, community and care for the environment. Propane unit volumes had been under reported by 0.5 per cent.

A metering error had resulted in the wrong data.