UK

Climate protesters blockade two sites in bid to ‘shut down Scottish oil’

Police and security outside the Ineos plant at Grangemouth (Climate Camp Scotland/PA)
Police and security outside the Ineos plant at Grangemouth (Climate Camp Scotland/PA)
By Laura Paterson, PA Scotland

Climate campaigners claim are blockading two oil sites and claim they aim to “shut down the Scottish oil industry”.

Activists from This is Rigged are at the Ineos refinery in Grangemouth, Fife, and the Nustar Clydebank oil terminal in West Dunbartonshire.

They claim to have stopped oil leaving the sites and could be seen protesting at the gates, sitting on pipes and on top of a tanker.

The campaign group posted on Twitter: “Grangemouth supplies 90% of Scotland’s oil. We have stopped oil leaving this site, as well as Nustar Terminal in Clydebank. We have no plans to stop.

“Groups of people are currently occupying pipework and a fuel silo and blockading terminal gates, while another group has immobilised a car park full of tankers at the Grangemouth facility. No fuel can leave the sites while they are occupied.

“The action is the first in a sustained series of actions, in which the group has vowed to shut down the Scottish oil industry.”

The group called on the Scottish Government to implement a just transition for oil and gas workers “instead of assisting billionaires like (Ineos owner) Jim Ratcliffe”.

They added: “Dinnae fash yersel (don’t worry), Jim, we’re not going anywhere.”

Police have been called to both sites and Ineos said the Grangemouth terminal has been “temporarily closed to traffic” over safety concerns.

An Ineos spokesperson said: “We are aware of a number of protesters at the Petroineos Road Terminal in Grangemouth.

“We have mobilised our incident management team and we are liaising with Police Scotland.

“The protester action is confined to a small area of the site and our manufacturing operations remain unaffected.

“We urge the protesters to consider the safety of themselves, our colleagues and the wider community.

“Our primary concern is always safety. We are taking steps to ensure the safety of all involved and have temporarily closed the terminal to traffic.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are aware of a number of protesters at the Road Tanker Terminal at the Ineos site in Grangemouth.

“There is also a small group gathered at the oil terminal at Rothsay Dock, Clydebank.

“Officers are in attendance.”

Nustar has been contacted for comment.