Yesterday marked the end of an era for Mossmorran, with ExxonMobil announcing the permanent halting of production at its Fife Ethylene Plant.
Plans to pull the plug were first revealed back in November, putting over 400 jobs at risk.
Conservative councillor Darren Watt commented on the latest update: “Although this update was imminent, it is still an exceptionally sad day for the area, with the loss of hundreds of local jobs and untold impact on the wider community.
“The immediate priority for both the UK and Scottish Government as well as Fife Council and relevant partners and agencies is to support the workers, and ensure training, upskilling and employment opportunities are immediately accessible and available.”
A taskforce met last week to discuss the future for workers being affected by the closure.
Initial lay-offs are set to see 70 receive redundancy packages at the end of April, and 90 will be retained until the first quarter of 2028 for decommissioning and dismantling work, with 20 relocated to London or Southampton.
Labour MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy constituency, Melanie Ward said: “I know that there are mixed views among residents as ExxonMobil permanently shuts down production at Mossmorran today, but everyone's first concern is the workforce who have been affected.
“Many people worked for years and years at the site, doing physically demanding work in all weathers. They deserved better than this.
“Ensuring that the workforce, including contractors, get the best possible support remains my one of my top priorities. This was a major focus of the Mossmorran taskforce meeting which I attended last week.
“The taskforce must now rapidly and thoroughly find future solutions for productive use of the site of the Fife Ethylene Plant, which will support good local jobs. I will continue to push for this, and I’m pleased that our UK Government continues to be clear that it stands ready to back this with more investment in Fife.”
A package of £9m will be delivered to communities affected by the closure, as outlined in the Scottish Government’s 2026-27 budget.
It has been described as a ‘potential lifeline’ for departing workers, but there are calls from the Scottish Greens to make sure the funding only goes to companies who guarantee them interviews.
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