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Grangemouth opportunity

Grangemouth is set to become Scotland’s low carbon manufacturing hub of the future. Explore the opportunities emerging at this evolving industrial site.

Grangemouth is entering a bold new chapter. For decades it’s been Scotland’s leading centre for petrochemical refining and manufacturing. Now, it’s undergoing an exciting economic transformation.

The shift represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform this industrial heartland into a world-leading low carbon manufacturing cluster, with a focus on sustainable fuels and fine chemicals.

Grangemouth is set to play an important role in Scotland’s journey to net zero – developing ways to decarbonise industry, while creating sustainable jobs and supporting the region's economic growth.

Economic and environmental impact

By 2040, developments at Grangemouth could deliver:

  • Up to 800 jobs (as a base figure) and as many as 1,200 with growth

  • A total gross value added (GVA) contribution ranging from £600 million to £700 million (at base), to as much as £1 billion to £2 billion (with growth)

  • An annual reduction in CO₂ emissions of between 3.5 and 6 million tonnes

Benefits of the Grangemouth site

As an industrial site, Grangemouth offers numerous strategic advantages for companies and investors, including:

  • A strategic location: the site enjoys easy access to transport options including Scotland’s largest container port and major motorways (the M8, M9, and M80) and proximity to Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other key locations
  • A skilled workforce: with strong links to the research and talent pipelines in Forth Valley College and universities in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Stirling
  • Green Freeport status: the site is part of the Forth Green Freeport initiative, which unlocks incentives for green investment
  • A rich industrial legacy: the site is already equipped with critical infrastructure and makes a £900 million annual contribution to the UK economy

Opportunities for Scottish businesses

Commissioned by Petroineos and funded by the UK and Scottish governments, the recent Project Willow report provided an in-depth evaluation of Grangemouth’s potential.

The report identified nine key investment areas for low-carbon projects, across three key themes:

Opportunities exist in areas such as:

  • Hydrothermal plastic recycling: turning hard-to-recycle plastics into valuable chemical feedstocks
  • Dissolution plastic recycling: producing virgin-like plastics from waste
  • ABE biorefining: converting food, drink, and agricultural waste into low-carbon chemicals

Companies can pursue bio-based innovation opportunities in areas such as:

  • Second generation bioethanol: using Scottish timber to produce sustainable fuels and bioplastics
  • Anaerobic digestion: transforming organic waste into biomethane and biochar
  • Hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (HEFA): converting oilseed cover crops into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel

Further opportunities exist in processes and technologies for producing more sustainable fuels, including:

  • Fuel switching: replacing natural gas with low-carbon hydrogen in industrial processes
  • E-methanol and methanol-to-jet: producing SAF from green hydrogen and CO₂
  • E-ammonia: creating low-carbon ammonia from hydrogen for shipping and chemical industries

Get involved

The redevelopment at Grangemouth presents opportunities for a range of companies and investors across various sectors and stages of the supply chain. In particular, there are opportunities for:

  • Technology providers who can bring proven solutions to scale
  • Feedstock suppliers who can support new value chains
  • Investors who can back Scotland’s green industrial future
  • Corporate partners who can secure low-carbon products and build resilient supply chains

Contact us

Want to learn more about opportunities at Grangemouth? Get in touch to speak to one of our advisers.

Phone: +44 300 013 3385opens in a new window