Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 3:03 pm on 30 October 2024.
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to sustain the economic value of the chemical production sector based around Grangemouth. (S6O-03849)
We are committed to securing a long-term and sustainable future for the Grangemouth cluster. We will shortly publish our draft Grangemouth just transition plan, which details the shared vision for the future of the cluster as Scotland’s premier location for investment in advanced chemical manufacturing. As part of the plan, which has been developed in collaboration with the Grangemouth future industry board, representatives from the chemicals manufacturing sector are supporting the development of a cluster strategy that is aimed at attracting new investment. That work will be supported by the Forth green freeport and the Falkirk and Grangemouth growth deal.
The threat to the refinery is equally a threat to the chemical cluster and a threat to Scotland’s economic economy. Given the recent award of Scottish Enterprise funding to Ineos for the green freeport initiative, what further incentives might be provided through the Forth green freeport, or directly to the cluster, to maximise long-term financial sustainability and enable growth, as outlined in the green industrial strategy?
Michelle Thomson makes an important point. I believe that the Scottish Enterprise funding that she is referencing is not actually part of the green freeport programme but is part of funding for exploration of the potential for hydrogen generation at the site. Grangemouth has the potential to be a significant part of Scotland’s low-carbon transition, which is why we have confirmed £50 million through the growth deal and have jointly funded the £1.5 million project willow study, which was discussed again yesterday in my regular meeting with the Secretary of State for Scotland. A range of specific interventions and supports are available.