Syngenta proposes closure of Grangemouth plant, threatening 377 jobs

Hundreds of jobs are under threat in Grangemouth after an agricultural chemical firm announced plans to cease operations at the site.

Syngenta said it had been unable to make its business at the plant "competitive" in the face of "increasing international competition".

A spokesperson for the company - which manufactures chemicals used for the protection of crops - said it would enter a consultation period over the move, but added a final decision has yet to be taken.

The Economy Secretary, Stephen Flynn, described the plans as "extremely disappointing".

The UK government's Reindustrialisation Minister, Blair McDougall, said they had worked with Scottish counterparts to "explore every possible avenue" for support, but Syngenta had taken the decision on a commercial basis.

A total of 377 workers are set to be affected by the move.

It comes over a year after Syngenta was awarded £2.2m from Scottish Enterprise to expand production at the site.

Syngenta added that it was "committed to genuine consultation" with trade unions over "alternative paths" for the site.

The firm said it had undertaken a "detailed review" of its Grangemouth operation prior to the plans being announced.

It said the Grangemouth site was "significantly more expensive" to operate than other production facilities.

The company added that savings had been identified in some areas of the business, but these fell short in "bridging the site's competitiveness gap".

Mike Hollands, president of Syngenta UK, said: "The workforce at Grangemouth is highly skilled and passionate, but despite all efforts, we have not been able to make the Grangemouth site competitive compared to alternative supply options.

"It is with a very heavy heart that we make this proposal, but we are committed to a constructive consultation and will continue to consider options as part of that process."

It is the latest job loss blow to the area following the closure of the nearby oil refinery in April last year, which also resulted in the loss of about 400 jobs.

In March, bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis announced plans to close its Falkirk plant with 115 roles lost.

The UK government, under then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, previously pledged an additional £200m in funding for Grangemouth from the National Wealth Fund.

Flynn said the Scottish government had "strongly opposed" Syngenta's plans.

He said he would continue to press the UK government on the £200m funding pot.

"My thoughts are with the workers, their families and the local community who will be affected by this decision," he said.

"We made clear to Syngenta's board our strong opposition to any potential scale down or closure of their Grangemouth site."

Flynn added: "During this period of consultation, I sincerely hope that the UK government will now provide some of the £200m committed to Grangemouth, since not a single penny has yet been allocated from that fund promised in 2024."

McDougall said the UK government would work with the National Wealth Fund in the coming days to "explore all options for the area".

"I know this will be a deeply concerning time for workers at Syngenta and their families, and I met with the company earlier today to discuss all options for the site and the workforce," he said.

"We will continue to work closely with both of them and look at all options for the site and the workforce."

Scottish Conservative Central Scotland MSP Meghan Gallacher said: "This is another hammer blow for Grangemouth and my thoughts are with the workers who are set to lose their jobs.

"Grangemouth and the surrounding communities have been devastated by the closure of major sites in recent years and this will have a further deeply damaging impact on the local and national economy.

"Both SNP and Labour ministers must pull out all the stops to try and protect these jobs and offer support to those who will be affected."

The Scottish Green Party co-leader, Gillian Mackay, who is also a local MSP, said the move was another "devastating blow" for the area.

"Our governments should be doing more to protect jobs and ensure that workers can benefit from our transition to a greener future," she said.

"Grangemouth is my home, and I am concerned about what this will mean for the local community if it goes ahead."