ExxonMobil’s decision to shutter its Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) in Cowdenbeath, Scotland, marks the end of an era for one of Europe’s largest and most modern ethylene facilities. The announcement, made on November 18, 2025, has sent shockwaves through the local community and Scotland’s industrial sector, as more than 400 jobs hang in the balance and politicians scramble to respond to the unfolding crisis.
The FEP, which has been a cornerstone of UK chemical production for 40 years, is set to close its doors by February 2026. The plant, operated by ExxonMobil Chemical Limited, converts ethane—delivered from the nearby Shell-operated Fife Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) plant—into ethylene, a key ingredient in plastics found everywhere from packaging and medical equipment to car parts. But in a statement reported by Financial Times and STV News, ExxonMobil made clear that the decision was driven by a “current economic and policy environment combined with market conditions, high supply costs and plant efficiency [that] do not create a competitive future for the site.”
Efforts to keep the plant running were extensive. ExxonMobil said it “considered various options to continue production and tested the market for a potential buyer,” but ultimately, these attempts fell flat. “FEP has been a cornerstone of chemical production in the UK for 40 years, and its closure reflects the challenges of operating in a policy environment that is accelerating the exit of vital industries, domestic manufacturing, and the high-value jobs they provide,” a company spokesperson stated, as cited by STV News. “We understand and regret the impact this will have on our loyal and valued workforce, contractors and local communities.”
The numbers are stark. Around 180 ExxonMobil staff, 200 contractors, and roughly 50 other workers at Mossmorran face redundancy. The closure is not just a blow to those directly employed; it also threatens the broader supply chain and local economy. In April 2025, the union Unite warned of an “avalanche” of job losses, and the months since have seen contractors like Altrad, Bilfinger, and Kaefer issue redundancy notices, citing reduced work and cost-saving pressures from ExxonMobil.
Local and national politicians have been quick to respond, albeit with frustration and some finger-pointing. Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes called the closure a “body blow” to Scotland’s economy, adding, “I have met with the business on a number of occasions and expressed my deep concern about the impact this announcement will have on the dedicated workforce, as well as the contractors and supply chain companies whose employment relies on the site.” She pledged that the Scottish Government would “do all that we can to support the workers at this time” and announced plans for a taskforce to address the fallout.
The UK Government, for its part, insisted it had “explored every reasonable avenue to support the plant,” but described the closure as a “commercial decision for the company to take.” Industry minister Chris McDonald told Parliament that an estimated £1 billion investment was needed to make the ageing plant commercially viable and that, despite regular meetings with ExxonMobil since August 2025, the support required was simply too great. “We have stepped in to support businesses in the steel, shipbuilding and chemicals industries,” McDonald said, as reported by The Guardian. “But in all cases there was a sound business proposition underpinning our investment and sadly here this was not the case.”
McDonald also noted that ExxonMobil had reassured him workers would be supported to find new jobs, including potential opportunities at the company’s Fawley refinery in Southampton—nearly 500 miles away from Fife. The government, he said, was committed to working with local authorities and the Scottish government to promote the site for future industrial investment, even as ExxonMobil begins the process of decommissioning.
Political reactions have spanned the spectrum. Mark Ruskell, Green MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, called the closure “devastating news for the local community and will cause a lot of anxiety for hundreds of workers and their families.” He pointed to his 2022 proposal for a net-zero future at Mossmorran, urging ministers and the UK Government to lay out a clear, worker-centered plan for the site’s future. “This is exactly what happens when you leave Scotland’s green industrial future in the hands of multi-millionaire owners of fossil fuel companies rather than bringing workers and trade unions to the table,” Ruskell said. He emphasized that Mossmorran’s skilled workforce could have a “sustainable and prosperous future in the green economy, but only if there is a clear and deliverable plan in place.”
On the other side of the aisle, Conservative councillor for Cowdenbeath Darren Watt labeled the closure “unprecedented” and highlighted the widespread impact on local families. Watt, who has previously criticized ExxonMobil for unplanned flaring incidents, acknowledged that the company had invested £140 million in a new enclosed ground flare system to address community concerns. “I sincerely hope workers and contractors are being fully supported through this process and that meaningful opportunities for retraining and alternative employment are available,” he said.
The closure is not occurring in isolation. It follows the recent end of oil refining operations at Grangemouth in Falkirk, where 200 workers were made redundant by June 2025 after the operator, Petroineos, cited an inability to compete with larger, newer refineries and the high cost of maintaining ageing infrastructure. The back-to-back loss of major industrial employers has fueled fears of a broader decline in Scotland’s manufacturing and energy sectors.
Labour MP Melanie Ward, representing Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, expressed outrage at reports of contract workers being “locked out of the site” and uncertainty over redundancy packages. “News reaching me suggests that Exxon staff, many of whom have decades of service, have been told they will lose their jobs but have no idea of the redundancy package they will receive,” she said, urging constituents to seek support from her office.
The Mossmorran complex itself is a significant industrial hub, comprising the Fife NGL plant operated by Shell UK and the FEP run by ExxonMobil. The Shell facility processes natural gas liquids from the S. Fergus terminal in Aberdeen, separating them into propane, ethane, butane, and natural gasoline. Ethane is piped directly to the FEP, while other products are exported. The site has not been without controversy—ExxonMobil’s plant was fined in October 2025 after a six-day noise disturbance prompted 900 complaints from local residents, a reminder of the longstanding tensions between industry and community.
As the countdown to closure begins, the focus now shifts to supporting those affected and charting a path for the site’s future. Whether Mossmorran can become a beacon for green industry or remains a symbol of Scotland’s industrial decline will depend on the actions taken in the coming months. For now, the uncertainty looms large over Fife and beyond.
