The Fife ethylene plant
Ineos Europe AG, ExxonMobil Chemical Limited and Shell Chemicals Europe B.V. announced a long-term sale and purchase agreement to secure ethane from US shale gas for the Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) at Mossmorran in Scotland, from mid 2017.
The Fife plant will receive ethane from INEOS’ new import terminal in Grangemouth, Scotland. Access to this new source of feedstock will help complement supplies from North Sea natural gas fields. The agreement will also ensure the competitiveness of a major manufacturing facility in Scotland and help secure skilled jobs in the long run.
FEP is owned and operated by ExxonMobil and Shell has 50 percent capacity rights.
Ethane gas is a vital raw material needed to produce ethylene, which itself is used in the manufacture of a broad range of products across the UK and is exported to Europe and other world markets. Access to ethane from shale production will provide sufficient raw material to run UK steamcrackers to make ethylene at full operating rates.
Ineos has committed £450 million (€630 million) to construct the new ethane import terminal at its Grangemouth facility. It represents the most significant investment in UK petrochemical manufacturing in recent times and is supported by both the UK and Scottish governments. An existing pipeline will transport the gas from Grangemouth to Fife.
The Fife Ethylene Plant is one of Europe’s largest and most modern ethylene facilities. The plant started production in 1985, and is one of only four natural gas-fed steam crackers in Europe. It was the first plant specifically designed to use natural gas liquids from the North Sea as feedstock. Alongside Ineos Grangemouth, it supplies manufacturing in Scotland, the rest of the UK and export markets with ethylene. It has an annual capacity of 830,000 tonnes of ethylene. Shell Chemicals has 50 percent capacity rights at the Fife Ethylene Plant.