Mossmorran returns to normal working

Confirmation came this afternoon from Fife Ethylene Plant.

It followed an earlier bulletin which said work was underway to re-start its compressor.

Engineers were working on bringing the distillation towers back to normal production, and taking steps to reduce the need for elevated flaring.

It follows the latest unscheduled flaring which sparked more dramatic images of the night sky lit up in Fife which was visible across the Forth.

The incident was reported to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) which sought an immediate update from the site.

Chris Dailly, head of environmental performance, said: “Having been clear that flaring must become the exception rather than routine, we’re disappointed that flaring by ExxonMobil Chemical Limited has occurred again so soon after the restart.

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“Officers made immediate contact with the company and we understand that the flaring relates to a trip of a major compressor. In understanding that flaring is likely to continue overnight as the site moves to a safe re-start, officers will continue to deploy and air and noise monitoring continues.

“SEPA is requiring a detailed briefing on the nature of the current incident and we expect the company to provide timely updates to the community. Whilst recognising that flaring is an important safety mechanism, this is a further reminder of why the short and medium term steps being taken by SEPA to mitigate flaring is so critical, including noise-reducing flare tips in 2020/21 and bringing forward plans for fully enclosed ground flares.”

In his latest update, Jacob McAlister, plant manager, said: “We have safely returned to normal operations, and are no longer using our elevated flare.

ExxonMobil will be represented at a meeting of Burntisland Community Council next week.

It takes place on Friday, March 13 and is ppen to the public.

The unscheduled flaring came less than a fortnight after the plant was started after a six-month shutdown.