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According to Sinochem News, on December 17, Ineos Group announced that it would invest £150 million together with the UK government to ensure the operation of its ethylene production facility in Grangemouth, Scotland. Of this amount, £125 million will come from government funding, including £50 million in subsidies and £75 million in government-guaranteed loans. These funds will be allocated specifically for equipment upgrades, energy efficiency improvements, emission reduction measures, and enhanced competitiveness; the specific details and timeline for implementation have not yet been disclosed. With ExxonMobil planning to shut down its 830,000 tons per year ethylene plant in Moss Moorland, Scotland, by February 2026, the Grangemouth site will become the only steam cracking production facility left in the UK. Previously, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, a subsidiary of Aramco, shut down the Olefins 6 cracker with an annual capacity of 865,000 tons in Teesside, UK, in June 2025; as a result, the European chemical industry is facing the challenge of having around 40% of its ethylene production capacity shut down. Operated by Ineos’ European Olefins and Polymers division, this facility has an annual production capacity of 830,000 tons of ethylene and 200,000 tons of propylene. After undergoing technical upgrades in 2016, it began using low-cost American ethane as raw material, supplying key inputs to downstream polyolefin plants. Its products are widely used in medical plastics, high-end manufacturing, aerospace, and other fields, and it is connected to the Fortis pipeline system, which is a key oil and gas transport route in the North Sea. The agreement specifies that the funds shall be used for specific purposes, with the government entitled to a share of future profits. In addition, the UK government has allocated 200 million pounds through a wealth fund and an additional 14 million pounds in funding for low-carbon projects to support the development of these bases, identifying 9 potential areas such as plastic recycling and bio-refining. Affected by the weak industry conditions, the spot price of ethylene in northwestern Europe on December 16 fell by 290 euros per ton compared to the beginning of 2025, reaching 505.5 euros per ton.