Mossmorran: £9million UK Government funding after plant’s closure and loss of 400 jobs

The investment was announced as the Fife Council-led Mossmorran Taskforce met for the second time, and came just days after the Scottish Government edit will cover £1.3million re-training costs for workers via Fife College.

Almost 40 years of production ended at Fife Ethlyene Plant when operators, ExxonMobil, shut the gates on February 2 - earlier than anticipated.

Since then, there has been a concerted effort to support the workers and the communities directly impacted by the closure.

The new funding is designed to help secure a successful economic future for the site and support communities affected by the plant’s closure.

The Taskforce was joined in person by UK Government Scotland Minister Kirsty McNeill MP as well as Melanie Ward, MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, and further discussed options to support the workforce, including through local organisations such as Fife College, and the continued work to find a viable alternative future for the site.

The funding is the latest intervention from the UK Government to support communities affected by Mossmorran’s closure. Support has also included actively marketing the site to potential investors, guaranteeing all Mossmorran workers a job interview at the Grangemouth plant, which is supported by £120 million of UK Government investment, expanding the Grangemouth Training Guarantee to Mossmorran workers who provided shared services to the refinery, investing around £415 million in Fife since the general election, through regeneration funding for towns - and direct UK Government investment in the Rosyth Dockyard as well as saving jobs at the Methil Yard.

Ms Ward welcomed the UK Govenment support, adding: “In December, I secured a commitment from the UK Government to explore funding for alternative futures for the site at Mossmorran, and in the months since, I have had meetings at every level of Government where I’ve fought for my constituents and pressed the case for this funding.

“The closure of Fife Ethylene Plant at Mossmorran was devastating news for its workforce and I have always argued that all sides should come together in the Taskforce and step up to help communities – this £9 million is a further contribution to that.

“This new funding takes the total investment by our UK Labour Government in Fife to around £415 million since Labour came into power in 2024, in addition to providing Scottish public services with the biggest settlement since devolution. “ Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for Scotland, added: “We know this has been an incredibly difficult time for the plant's workers and their families, which is why the UK Government is stepping in. We are determined to do all we can to look after the plant's workers, ensure a successful future for the site itself, and so mitigate the impact on the wider Fife community."