Updated: 18 November 2025
Pressure is intensifying on ExxonMobil to spell out the future of its operations in Scotland and across Europe, amid mounting fears that the US energy giant could quietly sell or shutter its Fife Ethylene Plant at Mossmorran as part of a wider shake‑up of its chemical business.
Reports in Scotland and new analysis published today highlight deep concern among ministers, unions and local communities that the petrochemical hub near Cowdenbeath – which supports around 500 jobs – may be at risk as ExxonMobil explores the sale of chemical plants in the UK and Belgium and reorganises its European footprint. [1]
What’s happening at Mossmorran?
Senior government figures in Scotland are understood to be worried that ExxonMobil, which operates the Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) at Mossmorran, is preparing either to sell the site or to wind it down over time. Multiple Scottish outlets have reported fears that the facility could be “quietly” shut down, rather than closed through a single, formal announcement. [2]
The plant sits at the heart of the Mossmorran complex in Fife and runs 24/7 producing ethylene – a core building block for plastics used in food packaging, medical equipment, car parts and other everyday products. [3]
According to new reporting today, UK ministers have privately pressed ExxonMobil for clarity after weeks of speculation. Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander is said to have met company representatives in October to discuss the future of its European operations, including the Fife site. However, a UK Government source quoted in fresh coverage suggests the company has offered little detail on what policy changes or support might persuade it to keep investing. [4]
Local Labour MP Melanie Ward has publicly confirmed she is “urgently seeking clarity” from ExxonMobil on its plans for the Fife Ethylene Plant and has requested a direct meeting with the company. [5]
Despite the speculation, ExxonMobil has not announced the closure or sale of Mossmorran, and the plant continues to operate. The company has historically declined to comment on “rumours or speculation” around potential asset sales. [6]
Job losses and the human cost behind the headlines
For workers and contractors, the fears are not abstract. Unions warn that the groundwork for a potential exit has already been laid through a wave of redundancies across Scotland’s oil and gas sector – including at Mossmorran itself.
In June, Unite the union sounded the alarm over what it called an “avalanche” of job losses hitting Grangemouth and Mossmorran. The union highlighted that: [7]
- At Grangemouth, more than 140 jobs with contractor Altrad were set to go by the end of June.
- At Mossmorran, Altrad announced at least 98 redundancies, citing a downturn in work and cost‑cutting requirements from ExxonMobil.
- Two other major contractors at the Fife site – Bilfinger and Kaefer – also moved to cut staff, issuing 10 and 55 redundancy notices respectively.
A separate industry report by Robert Gordon University, cited by Unite, warned that the UK oil and gas workforce could shrink by about 400 jobs every two weeks for the next five years without stronger intervention and a credible transition plan. [8]
For Mossmorran, where around 500 direct and indirect jobs are linked to the plant, these losses land on top of long‑standing community concerns over flaring, noise, light and air pollution. Regulators at SEPA have imposed tighter rules on the complex in recent years and overseen investments in enclosed ground flares and monitoring networks to reduce impacts on nearby communities. [9]
A plant under scrutiny – and vital to European supply chains
The Fife Ethylene Plant is not just a local employer; it is one of Europe’s significant ethylene producers. Feedstock ethane arrives from the North Sea, is “cracked” in high‑temperature furnaces, and turned into ethylene and other products. Ethylene is then distributed via pipeline networks and exported by ship for use in manufacturing everything from food packaging films and bottles to insulation materials and synthetic fibres. [10]
Industry data indicate the Mossmorran facilities were originally designed to produce around half a million tonnes of ethylene per year and have since expanded output substantially, underlining their role in the wider European chemicals value chain. [11]
Any decision to close or sell the plant would therefore ripple well beyond Fife, affecting supply chains in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands, where much of the ethylene and derivative chemicals are further processed.
The European chemical sale: FT and Reuters reveal a bigger picture
The uncertainty in Fife is closely tied to ExxonMobil’s broader European strategy.
In early September, the Financial Times – later summarised by Reuters – reported that ExxonMobil was exploring the sale of its European chemical plants in the UK and Belgium, in deals that could raise up to $1 billion. The assets under review include the Fife ethylene plant and several Belgian facilities. [12]
According to that reporting:
- The company has held early‑stage talks with advisers about potential disposals.
- It has also considered simply shutting some sites down if buyers do not emerge.
- ExxonMobil declined to comment directly, reiterating its policy of not addressing market speculation. [13]
Today’s SSB Crack analysis ties that potential sale squarely to the situation in Fife, warning that the Mossmorran plant appears increasingly exposed as part of a portfolio ExxonMobil may seek to exit. The article notes that about 500 jobs are linked to Mossmorran and that the company posted £25 billion in profits last year – its third‑best performance on record – sharpening criticism that highly profitable assets are being run down while workers pay the price. [14]
ExxonMobil’s European restructuring and 1,200 job cuts
The speculation about individual plants sits alongside a formal restructuring of ExxonMobil’s European operations announced on 30 September 2025. In a corporate statement, the company said it would “reorganize” its footprint in the EU and Norway, centralising many staff at key manufacturing sites and closing several smaller offices. [15]
Key points from that plan include:
- A reduction of around 1,200 positions across the EU and Norway by the end of 2027, of which approximately 600 are expected to be redundancies.
- A current European workforce of about 7,000 people, excluding staff in France where a divestment had already been announced.
- A commitment to invest in new facilities like a European Technology Centre in Antwerp, but an acknowledgment that Europe has become a “less attractive” destination for capital due to regulatory costs and complexity. [16]
In that same communication, ExxonMobil stressed that it had invested more than €20 billion in Europe since 2010 and that it intends to retain a “meaningful presence” in the region, even as it consolidates operations. [17]
For Fife, the message is mixed: the UK remains highlighted on Exxon’s European map as a core manufacturing hub with major refining and petrochemical assets at Fawley and ethylene production at FEP, yet headcount reductions and asset sales elsewhere suggest the company is willing to make deep cuts where it sees insufficient returns. [18]
Regulatory pressure: CSDDD and talk of an “exit from Europe”
The industrial context is being reshaped not only by market forces but also by regulation.
On 2 October 2025, ExxonMobil published a sharply worded article in its European newsroom in which CEO Darren Woods described the EU’s planned Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) as one of the most burdensome laws he has seen as chief executive. He warned that: [19]
- The directive could impose penalties of at least 5% of global revenue for failures in supply‑chain due diligence.
- Its extraterritorial reach would force companies with global operations to align every part of their business with European rules.
- Without reform, CSDDD would create an “untenable” environment that could accelerate ExxonMobil’s exit from Europe.
These comments, echoed in interviews with Bloomberg, Reuters, Axios and the Financial Times, underline how Europe’s regulatory direction is factored into restructuring and divestment decisions. [20]
For workers and communities in Fife, this raises a hard question: if ExxonMobil sees Europe as over‑regulated and under‑competitive, can political pressure alone persuade it to keep a large petrochemical site in Scotland running at current scale?
What governments are saying – and not saying
Officially, both the UK and Scottish governments say they are engaged, but neither has offered a public guarantee over Mossmorran’s future.
According to today’s reporting, a UK Government spokesperson confirmed that the Secretary of State for Scotland met ExxonMobil representatives earlier this month and that London is “monitoring the situation at the Mossmorran site closely” while continuing dialogue with the company. [21]
Scottish ministers, meanwhile, are facing local political pressure to develop a concrete plan for jobs and investment in the Forth estuary industrial corridor – especially given the impending end of oil refining at Grangemouth and the knock‑on effect on contractors who also work at Mossmorran. Unite has accused both the UK and Scottish governments of overseeing an “unfolding jobs crisis” without a credible transition strategy. [22]
So far, there has been no public publication of any government‑backed package that would directly tie support to job guarantees at the Fife Ethylene Plant.
Environmental legacy and community relations
Mossmorran has long been one of Scotland’s most controversial industrial sites. Residents in surrounding communities such as Lochgelly, Cowdenbeath and Lumphinnans have repeatedly complained about noise, vibration, bright flaring and perceived health impacts, prompting a string of investigations by regulators and court actions over past breaches. [23]
In response, ExxonMobil has invested in upgrades like an enclosed ground flare designed to reduce noise and smoke, and SEPA has tightened permit conditions and launched near‑real‑time air‑quality monitoring around the complex. Regulators say pollutant concentrations at residential locations are currently below statutory air‑quality limits, though methane emissions remain a climate concern. [24]
At the same time, ExxonMobil’s own communications emphasise community outreach – from STEM education programmes and local donations to celebrating FEP’s 40th anniversary and employee milestones – painting a picture of a long‑term industrial citizen in Fife. [25]
This contrast between polished corporate messaging and the very real possibility of sale or closure is fuelling scepticism among some locals who fear the company could slip away with minimal accountability.
What happens next?
As of 18 November 2025, three things are simultaneously true:
- Mossmorran is still running. ExxonMobil continues to operate the Fife Ethylene Plant, and there has been no formal decision to close or sell the site. [26]
- The risk has undeniably increased. Credible reporting from Reuters, the Financial Times and regional outlets indicates that the company is actively exploring options to sell its European chemical plants in the UK and Belgium and has contemplated shutting them if buyers cannot be found. [27]
- Workers and communities are already feeling the impact. Contractor redundancies, warnings of an “avalanche” of job losses and a broader restructuring plan that cuts 1,200 roles across Europe point to a future in which fewer people work for ExxonMobil on the continent – whatever happens at Mossmorran. [28]
Possible scenarios
While the final outcome rests with ExxonMobil and potential buyers, analysts and union officials typically point to four broad scenarios:
- Sale to another operator
The Fife Ethylene Plant could be sold as a going concern to a specialist chemicals company or investment fund, preserving much of the current operation but possibly with different employment terms and investment priorities. - Managed run‑down and closure
ExxonMobil might opt to phase down output and close the plant over time, aligning with wider European divestments and its criticism of EU regulation. This would raise acute questions about decommissioning, site remediation and just transition for workers. - Partial conversion or repurposing
In line with wider talk of sustainable fuels and lower‑carbon materials, parts of the Mossmorran complex could be repurposed over the long term – though no firm plans have emerged and timelines would likely lag any shutdown by years. [29] - Reprieve and reinvestment
If policy changes, subsidies or market conditions improve, ExxonMobil could decide that Fife still fits its global portfolio, committing new capital to modernise the plant – but this would run against the current direction of travel, which is towards consolidation and asset sales.
The bottom line
For now, Fife’s Mossmorran plant sits at the crossroads of three powerful trends: a global energy major retrenching from Europe, a continent wrestling with how to regulate industry while staying competitive, and a Scottish industrial belt grappling with the transition away from fossil fuels.
On paper, the Fife Ethylene Plant remains a key node in ExxonMobil’s UK operations and a major producer of ethylene for European manufacturers. On the ground, workers and communities see contractor layoffs, ambiguous corporate messaging and reports of potential asset sales – and fear that by the time any closure is formally confirmed, the damage will already have been done.
Unless ExxonMobil provides clear public commitments, and governments match their concern with concrete plans for jobs and investment, the question hanging over Mossmorran on 18 November 2025 is simple – and urgent:
Is this still a long‑term industrial anchor for Fife, or the next major casualty of Europe’s shifting energy and chemicals landscape?
References
1. news.ssbcrack.com, 2. www.energyvoice.com, 3. corporate.exxonmobil.com, 4. news.ssbcrack.com, 5. x.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.unitetheunion.org, 8. www.unitetheunion.org, 9. beta.sepa.scot, 10. en.wikipedia.org, 11. en.wikipedia.org, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.reuters.com, 14. news.ssbcrack.com, 15. corporate.exxonmobil.com, 16. corporate.exxonmobil.com, 17. corporate.exxonmobil.com, 18. corporate.exxonmobil.com, 19. corporate.exxonmobil.com, 20. corporate.exxonmobil.com, 21. news.ssbcrack.com, 22. www.unitetheunion.org, 23. en.wikipedia.org, 24. beta.sepa.scot, 25. corporate.exxonmobil.com, 26. corporate.exxonmobil.com, 27. www.reuters.com, 28. corporate.exxonmobil.com, 29. aberdeenbusinessnews.co.uk
