Carmichael welcomes Ineos announcement
Scottish Secretary says Grangemouth staff can look to the future with optimism.
Welcoming the announcement that the Ineos petrochemical plant in Grangemouth is to reopen on the basis of the company’s survival plan, Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael said:
This is the news that we all wanted.
The staff and their families have been through a very stressful and uncertain time. They have been through a hell of a week and I hope they have a much better weekend as a result of today’s announcement.
They can look to the future with an optimism which was absent earlier in the week.
This is the outcome we have worked towards and one which Scotland and Grangemouth deserve. There are undoubtedly lessons to be learned from this dispute but for now we should focus on the immediate success of securing the site’s future.
The joint talks at Ineos yesterday have been just one part of the UK Government’s efforts to find a solution to this crisis. The UK Guarantee for the new ethane facility is an important part of the discussions and the plant will be a key part of the company’s plans for the future.
Mr Carmichael confirmed at a meeting with Ineos yesterday that the UK Government agrees the Grangemouth ethane project remained prequalified under the UK Guarantees Scheme.