THE maintenance work on the ground flares at the Mossmorran petro-chemical complex was completed on Thursday by Shell.

The ground flares are a key element of the safety measures utilised by both Shell and Exxon at the Fife Ethylene Plant.

Said Teresa Waddingston, manager of the Shell NGL Plant: "The essential maintenance on the two ground flares on the Fife NGL site took place over three days from June 23 to June 25.

"I’m pleased to way that we successfully and safely completed the work ahead of schedule, and the ground flares were returned to service on Thursday.

"This work is part of our significant ongoing investment in the plant every year, and our commitment to operate effectively and to high safety standards".

The ‘Mossmorran complex’ includes two sites operated by two companies: the Fife NGL plant operated by Shell U.K. Limited and the ExxonMobil-operated Fife Ethylene Plant.

The Shell Fife NGL plant is a critical piece of infrastructure in a system that transports, processes and distributes gas from the North Sea, helping meet industry and domestic power needs, and providing feedstock to manufacture a wide range of household products in Scotland and the UK. Total capacity at the plant is 12,500 tonnes per day.

Added Ms Waddington: "The Shell Fife NGL plant employs more than 250 people, many of whom are local and help make us part of the community. We procure local goods and services, and support social investment programmes in nearby communities in Fife".