Scotland’s industrial future will be focus for new Economy Secretary
The Scottish Government will be “bold, innovative and ambitious” in helping drive a positive and prosperous outcome for the country’s industrial heartlands, the Economy Secretary Stephen Flynn has said
In his first official engagement as a Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary, Mr Flynn met former workers of the Grangemouth refinery and ExxonMobil Mossmorran ethylene plant, alongside Unite the union.
He also visited the Grangemouth Industrial Complex to tour the facilities of Celtic Renewables, a biorefinery which has secured £11 million of Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise funding. The company is projected to create nearly 150 jobs by 2030.
Cabinet Secretary for Economy Stephen Flynn said: “It has been heartening to hear more about the work that has been undertaken by a wide range of partners to support affected workers at Grangemouth and Mossmorran and drive positive outcomes for them and their families.
“I was also pleased to visit Celtic Renewables, a growing success story which illustrates that there can - and must - be an incredibly bright and positive future for our industrial heartlands and the communities they support.
“It is imperative that we are bold, innovative and ambitious in collectively shaping Scotland’s industrial future. I will work to ensure strong, vibrant and indispensable industries – which have been let down by successive UK Governments - are at the heart of Scotland’s economy.”
Scottish Enterprise Chief Executive Adrian Gillespie said: "It was great to join the Cabinet Secretary at Celtic Renewables and show first hand Scottish Enterprise's continuing commitment to Grangemouth.
“Celtic Renewables is a strong example of an innovative, scaling company that has benefitted from Grangemouth’s excellent connectivity and skills, enabled by funding and support from Scottish Enterprise and our partners. We’ve worked with the company since its startup in 2011 and continue to do so as it accelerates plans for a full-scale biorefinery creating more high-quality jobs.”
Background
The Scottish Government has invested £1.3 million in training and employment support package for workers at ExxonMobil’s Mossmorran ethylene plant.
It is part of a £9 million Scottish Government funding commitment to support the plant’s workforce.
The Scottish Government’s £25 million Grangemouth Just Transition Fund is investing in projects that create new jobs in the area. This includes funding for MiAlgae and Celtic Renewables, which together are forecast to deliver up to 460 jobs.