Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests, Disney faces countersuit in feud with Florida, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies. This page is not available in other languages. @MarkKleinmanSky. Live market coverage co-anchored from Hong Kong and New York. "We continue to regulate the site to make sure Essar have the right protection measures in place to minimise the risk of damage to the environment.". The first of Brazil's planned cities, Belo Horizonte occupies a wide plateau encircled by the Curral del Rey Mountains, a hilly ridge forming the "beautiful horizon" for which the city was named. The manufacturing complex employs 800 people. The Stanlow refinery is located on a 770ha-site on the southern of the Mersey Estuary, near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK. [8] Stanlow & Thornton railway station was opened in 1940 to give workers access to the site and the facility an extra mode of transport. After arriving by ship from Thailand to the Port of Liverpool in June it was transferred to a barge for the short trip across the River Mersey, through the locks into the Manchester Ship Canal and onto a holding bay near National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port. Lloyds is said to have become frustrated by a failure to address repeatedly expressed concerns about the Stanlow refinery-owner's governance over a protracted period, as well as a series of delays to the filing of audited accounts. The blackout and issues with the startup impacted the effluent [waste] treatment system resulting in oil (hydrocarbon) spilling out into Thornton Brook, and a clean-up is still ongoing. Crude oil is now received lower down river on the Mersey at the Tranmere Oil Terminal, operated by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company from its Liverpool headquarters, and is transferred via a fifteen-mile (24km) pipeline to storage at Stanlow. Linklaters and Ashurst both declined to comment. Essar said it was already making rapid progress against its broader decarbonisation targets with plans in place for the supply of hydrogen. Man run over and attacked by gang armed with weapons, Club of the Year celebrate St Helens CAMRA honour, Tranmere man, 32, arrested after 'serious assault' in Rock Ferry, Pictures show ongoing demolition of St Peter & Paul's Catholic church, Popular Liverpool holiday destinations issue ban ahead of summer, Widnes garage fire started by electrical hand tool, More than 20,000 Russians dead in Bakhmut, US says, Lil Nas X and Florence Pugh arrive at Met Gala, France May Day protests leave dozens of police injured, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. Essar Oil UK insisted: "No [borrowing] facilities were withdrawn solely due to governance issues". Total halted the crude distillation unit at Grandpuits Nov. 16 but the other units at the refinery had previously remained in operation. Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 2022 Global Energy Infrastructure 2022 Gulf Publishing Holdings LLC. The refinery is located on the south bank of the River Mersey, flanked on its west by the M53 and M56 to the south. Stanlow Refinery is an oil refinery owned by Essar Energy in Ellesmere Port, North West England. Video Loading Essar has said that Litasco has no ability to influence operations at the terminal. Nevertheless, oil industry sources say they are legitimate concerns about the future of the company, which bought the Stanlow refinery at Ellesmere Port from Shell in 2011. An unplanned shutdown at Stanlow refinery in Ellesmere Port caused an oil spill which contributed to the Environment Agency giving the site their lowest compliance rating. [19], Stanlow's position as one of the largest and well-known refineries in the country, has led to numerous protests over a number of decades. 100. Apollo has been reported to be in discussion with Nayara Energy owned Essar for several weeks now following news that Stanlow was in jeopardy of closure due to the demand destruction seen over the last year. The new furnace is part of Government-backed plans to include hydrogen in the race to reduce the countrys carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. Other issues that contributed to the poor rating included an accidental loss of containment of a process liquid due to a failure in operating techniques and a crash on-site with a waste line that reduced the effectiveness of their liquid waste treatment capability, fortunately, no one was injured. [3] On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. 04 Aug 2022. Hydrogen is a low or zero-emission substitute for fossil fuels. This has been a huge logistical challenge for everyone involved but well be closing the motorway at a time when traffic is at its lightest and a very good diversion will be in place.. All companies under the TTP have been given until January 2022 to meet their commitments. In 2010, Royal Dutch Shell declared their desire to sell off some refineries in Europe to concentrate on emerging markets in Asia and the Middle East, which led to the possibility that Stanlow would be shut down indefinitely. * India's Essar Energy ESSR.L agreed to buy Royal Dutch Shell's RDSa.L Stanlow refinery in northwest England for $350 million. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Britain's biggest union is locking horns with Cheshire's giant oil refinery over possible industrial action. EOUK had agreed to an accelerated schedule to make this payment. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Today we released full details of the overnight motorway closure including diversion information. "In terms of governance, we always seek to adopt best practices and, working with our advisers, we made some changes to the board in recent weeks. [17] In April 2021 the company was reported to be heavily in debt after fossil fuel demand dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic. The site occupies an important role in the UK's industrial manufacturing sector, directly employing more than 900 people, with an additional 800 on-site contractors and a further 5,000 people employed indirectly through the extended value chain, according to Essar Oil UK's website. "We are currently investigating Essar for breaches of their environmental permit and as such are unable to comment further. A multimillion-pound carbon capture plant is to be built at an oil refinery in Cheshire. In your inbox before the open, every day. Essar Oil UK will build the 360m site at Stanlow refinery in Ellesmere Port to help reduce carbon . You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk, UK commits to 'net zero' emissions by 2050, Plant will turn household waste into aviation fuel, Unit collapse caused oil refinery incident - union, Man run over and attacked by gang armed with weapons, Club of the Year celebrate St Helens CAMRA honour, Tranmere man, 32, arrested after 'serious assault' in Rock Ferry, Pictures show ongoing demolition of St Peter & Paul's Catholic church, Popular Liverpool holiday destinations issue ban ahead of summer, Widnes garage fire started by electrical hand tool, More than 20,000 Russians dead in Bakhmut, US says, Lil Nas X and Florence Pugh arrive at Met Gala, France May Day protests leave dozens of police injured, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. Previously the refineries were owned by the oil firms Shell and Total,. is achievable. In the 1974 an oil pipeline was commissioned from Amlwch, Anglesey to Stanlow. Concerns despite Essar reporting progress in refinancing debt, which deepened to $321m in 2021. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. How to sign up for a MyWirral Email Update. Essar Energy, which owns the Stanlow. Buffett Will Beat theMarket asRecession Looms, Investors Say, Rivians Troubles Dont End at a 93% Wipeout, First Republics Jumbo Mortgages Brought On Banks Failure, Asia Stocks Set for Mixed Start as Treasuries Drop: Markets Wrap. "We continue to work with our legal advisers to adopt best practices in this regard for a private company, including a firm intention to appoint two independent directors in due course.". The UK's second biggest oil refinery is locked in talks with tax officials over a deferred tax bill amid reports that it could be on the brink of collapse. By way of comparison, sales in February 2020 were 661kT. 200. Read about our approach to external linking. "This included the impacts caused by the sudden failure of power to Stanlow from the national grid, which in turn led to the complete loss of the internal electrical supply at Stanlow. [1] Essar has stated their desire to expand the site with a 25% increase in output. Track your investments 24 hours a day, around the clock from around the world. Documents filed at Companies House show that losses at Essar Oil (UK) deepened from $221m (168m) to $321m in 2021, a year in which government officials became concerned about the financial position of the company, which supplies 16% of UK road fuel from its refinery in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. CheshireLive reported in March this year that Stanlow was given an environmental compliance score of 208.3 for 2019 far above the threshold for an F-rating, of 150. But an auditors report warned of uncertainty over the companys discussions about new loans to help it weather the impact of Covid-19, which significantly reduced demand for fuel before a recent revival in conditions. 2) SUBSCRIBE to Global Energy Infrastructureand gain ACCESS to premium data for the energy industry.*. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 150. A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: "We expect all businesses to operate to the highest environmental standards. Barrel per day output: 272,000bbl/d (43,200m, This page was last edited on 9 June 2022, at 23:45. Petroineos Grangemouth closure plans the latest round of refinery rationalisations . [12] Oil products were loaded into a fleet of 100 road tankers for distribution. Lpg Mounded Storage System Horton spheres manufacture and. As the Guardian reported last year, Litasco has a claim on Stanlow that kicks in if Essar defaults on payments under an oil sale and purchase agreement. Despite sanctions on Russian shipping, Russian oil continued to arrive at port on ships owned and flagged in other countries. All rights reserved. The report said that while financing proposals were under discussion, to mitigate the risk of the company defaulting on payments, the talks had not concluded. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Closure of lubricants. Stanlow refinery, which supplies a sixth of Britain's petrol, in crisis talks with HMRC. As a result of that work over the past few months, EOUK has $1.1bn [800m] in liquidity secured. There is also a pipeline for jet fuel to Manchester Airport. Markets never sleep, and neither does Bloomberg. Essar Oil said it wants to be at the forefront of the UK's shift to low carbon energy, Essar Oil said they would complete their "energy transition strategy" by 2030, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. The firm is believed to have put out inquiries with government to . Stanlow was now seeing increased demand for road transport fuels, and the company remained committed to a sustainable future and aiding the UK's decarbonisation agenda, the source said. Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? The pipeline had closed by 1990.[9][10]. This documentary-style series follows investigative journalists as they uncover the truth. Although situated in North West England, the refinery serves much of England as it is linked to the UK oil pipeline network. Refinery Firefighting. The company, responsible for operating the country's motorways and major A roads, is closing the M53 for a night later this month to ensure the main module of the UK's first hydrogen-ready furnace, can be delivered to Essar Oil UK's Stanlow refinery near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire. The situation has alerted officials in Whitehall because of the implications of a collapse of a company responsible for supplying one-sixth of the UK's transport fuels - including through a pipeline from Stanlow to Manchester Airport. The accounts were signed off before the invasion of Ukraine and do not make any reference to the possible impact of the war on the company or its ties to Russia. Dockworkers have called this a loophole in sanctions.[23][24][25]. Essar Oil has also reduced the amount it owed to HMRC, after it took part in a scheme that allow companies hit by Covid-19 to defer VAT repayments. Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. A multimillion-pound carbon capture plant is to be built at an oil refinery in Cheshire. European e-scooter giant Tier Mobility maps route to merger, First Republic: JP Morgan to take over assets after lender becomes fourth to fail in two months, Vue screens former Rank chief Birch for boardroom post. The refinery is situated on the south bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, which is used to transport seaborne oil for refining and chemicals for Essar and Shell. The government has a net zero target by 2050. Last modified on Wed 30 Mar 2022 17.16 EDT. In 1980, electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) from nearby Wirral featured a song about the refinery called "Stanlow" on their second album, Organisation. The plant would have the same carbon-reducing effect as taking 400,000 cars off the road, Essar said. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. "The new furnace is one of the largest objects ever to be moved on UK roads and key to Essars strategy of transitioning to being a low carbon energy provider at the forefront of decarbonisation in the North West.. The National Grid was approached for comment. Essar Oil UK said it had historically been "a very profitable business that has attracted over $1bn in investment since its acquisition in 2011". The STS Transfers will enable larger ships . Belo Horizonte, city, southern Minas Gerais estado (state), southeastern Brazil. The largest single module for the new furnace is 26.5 metres long, 18.5 metres tall, and 14.2 metres wide. A statement said Essar's "energy transition strategy" was based on the development of more environmentally friendly fuels. On Saturday 13 August it will be moved away from the canal a few hundred yards onto the neighbouring M53 via the southbound entry slip road at junction 8. This is what progress has been made since the plan was drawn up, Essar 'committed' to Stanlow Oil Refinery amid question mark over jobs' futures, The firm which runs the facility is looking at the outsourcing of some business functions, which could lead to redundancies, Swans potentially 'contaminated with oil' rescued near Stanlow Refinery in Ellesmere Port, The birds have been taken by the RSPCA to Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre. The site, which is managed by energy giant Essar, suffered a complete loss of power from the National Grid in 2019. Oilprice surges after surprise Opec+ production cut, Opec+ announces surprise cuts in oil production, Climate protesters spared from jail over track invasion at British Grand Prix, Thebillionaire amateur racing driver who runs the Poole oil leak pipeline, North Sea oil and gas workers vote to strike amid bumper profits, Saudi Aramcos $161bn profit is largest recorded by an oil and gas firm. It handled 5,000 tonnes of oil products daily, comprising 22 million gallons (100,000 m3) of white oil and 42 million gallons (191,000 m3) of black oil a year. M53 closure to help construct hydrogen-powered refinery, More information on the project is available at Essar Oil UKs website. 9th April 2021. Since 3 February 2022 the station has been temporarily closed due to safety concerns of the footbridge which is the only entrypoint to the station. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said on Friday: "We do not comment on individual companies. Friday 17 September 2021 15:37, UK. And because of the poor performance, they will now have to pay 300% of the usual fee to the Environment Agency with environment policy magazine ENDS Report analysis estimating the company would have paid roughly 820,000 last spring. Since early August, the company has increased its daily vehicle shifts from 52 to more than 70, and is aiming to increase deliveries to more than 80 by the end of October, it said. Over 400 workers had overwhelmingly voted in favour of strike action in September, returning a 98.5 per cent yes vote. Unite says it will begin the process to ballot more than 500 members at Essar Oil (UK) at Stanlow, Ellesmere Port on whether they wish to take steps up to and including strike action. We're paving the way for cutting carbon emissions at one of the country's biggest oil refineries. And the last leg of its 6,000 mile - and mostly watery journey will be along the strictly terra firma of the M53 motorway and A5117 local road. delivered c.US$225 million uplift to EBITDA. Read about our approach to external linking. About 180 jobs are at risk after energy giant Shell announced the closure of two fire-damaged chemical units within an oil refinery in Cheshire. Essar Oil UK (EOUK) used the governments pandemic VAT deferral scheme last year, which allowed businesses to delay tax repayments. New markets Stanlow oil refinery stands in Ellesmere, U.K. Want the lowdown on European markets? A 45m furnace that runs completely on hydrogen - the first of its kind in the UK - will replace three existing furnaces at Stanlow. The fire which broke out at Stanlow last August. (modern). The future around the long running Stanlow refinery in the Ellesmere Port in Northwest England has been thrust into uncertainty lately due to reports of financial instability from lower fuel demand. The company said it would also invest in a range of efficiencies to "decarbonise its production process". Essar Oil UK, which is being advised by EY, also insists it has made considerable progress to strengthen its financial position and agree new financing. 1) Go to our dedicated newsletter page at this link. [15] Following the bankruptcy of Petroplus which ran the Coryton Refinery in January 2012, Essar stated their belief that Stanlow, being a large refinery, would be able to compete with refineries in Asia and the Middle East. Project Gallery Feedstock supply The refinery receives the crude supply through a 24km-long pipeline from the Tranmere oil terminal situated near Mersey Estuary. [4] Consequently, it is the second largest in the United Kingdom after Fawley Refinery,[5] and produces a sixth of the UK's petrol needs. * The plant was closed early in the second quarter 2011. . It that happened, the refinery would be likely to be taken on by the official receiver, to keep the refinery running. Hindustan refinery to restart in 2 months Oil amp Gas Journal. 5) There are plenty of other newsletters to choose from too. Cheshire West and Chester Council said it was "saddened and disappointed by the news" and would do everything it could to help anyone who may need to look for new employment. The owner of the Stanlow oil refinery is facing a fresh financial crunch ahead of a . The disclosure of the law firms' decision to step down comes just days after it emerged that the company was in urgent talks about its future. Stanlow Refinery - Significant Potential Completed first year ownership US$350 million acquisition cost . A spokesperson for Essar said 2019 had been a "challenging year" from an environmental perspective and changes had already been made since the report. Petrol tankers fill up with petrol and diesel at the Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere Port. The owner of the giant Stanlow oil refinery has been thrown a 400m lifeline by the taxman amid fears it could collapse, risking operations at the plant and creating fuel shortages. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. [22], During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, dockworkers of the Unite union began to refuse to unload Russian oil from any ship. Essar Energy locked in negotiations with HMRC over VAT payment delayed because of pandemic. The refinery occupies nearly 1,900 acres (7.7km2) near the River Mersey and dates back to 1924, when a small bitumen plant was established. Further, the company has now returned to Ebitda positive [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation] and is therefore in a much stronger position to weather the continued challenge presented by the pandemic, it said. The module will be mounted on two wheeled platforms - one on each carriageway - and will look a bit like the bridge of a container ship gliding down the motorway. However, this station is now only served by three trains daily towards each of Ellesmere Port (westbound) and Helsby (eastbound), with these services scheduled to depart at times which would be inconvenient for the workers. Year end run rate (US$ million) 250. Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and . The adjacent oil refinery at Stanlow is owned by Essar and is not affected. It still owes 223m, and was reportedly due to start repayments this week. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. CR4 Thread Spherical Tanks and Liquefied Petroleum Gas. Oilfield oil gas trasport pipeline refinery gifts awards. All rights reserved. Whyare oil prices rising and what does it mean for inflation? The refinery is situated on the south bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, which is used to transport seaborne oil for refining and chemicals for Essar and Shell. Read about our approach to external linking. Essar said: "As we have previously stated, 2019 was a challenging year from an environmental perspective. The Environment Agency - the body sponsored by the government to protect and enhance the environment - regulates the refinery and deemed it was "posing unacceptable risk to health and the environment" giving it an F rating following its compliance inspection in 2019. However, the recovery from the pandemic has been slower than predicted, the company said, adding that it hopes for a resolution soon. [14], After a prolonged period of negotiation, Stanlow was sold by Shell to Essar Energy for approximately $1.3 billion (814 million) in 2011. Caption: The huge 'module' - part of a hydrogen-powered furnace - will be gliding down the M53 next week en route to Stanlow. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Essar Oil UK will build the 360m site at Stanlow refinery in Ellesmere Port to help reduce carbon . The owner of the UK's Stanlow refinery, Essar Oil UK, has previously said that it has reached an agreement with tax authorities on value added tax payment arrears, it said Sept. 28. Welsh band Jesu's 2007 album Conqueror features a track titled "Stanlow" that concerns itself with the refinery. The terminal was supplied with light oils via a 41.6km pipeline from Stanlow refinery; heavy oils were delivered by two trains per day from Stanlow, and three daily trains from Heysham refinery. (modern). Stanlow has been beset by problems in recent times, with an unplanned shutdown in 2019 triggering a significant oil spill. Output is delivered via various means, including by pipeline via the UK oil pipeline network, road and the Manchester Ship Canal. [20][21] A large fuel price protest was staged in May 2011 with the objective of "shutting down" the refinery. did a similar move in 2016 and a year earlier the same occurred at Essar Stanlow." "The driver is to supply only the nearest (highest margin) markets and reduce the amount of product from the refinery that moves in to lower margin markets and decrease . The two chemical plants at the site are owed by Shell but are run under a management agreement by Essar Oil UK. Essar says it is in positive discussions with HMRC for a short extension to its time-to-pay (TTP) arrangement agreed earlier this year, having repaid 547m of the 770m originally deferred. Stanlow Terminals Ltd has launched a new ship-to-ship (STS) fuel transfer service on the River Mersey in a joint partnership with Peel Ports Group (PPG). Something went wrong, please try again later. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. The jobs were placed at risk following a fire at the plant in August. Essar Energy, which owns the Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, is negotiating with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over a 223m VAT payment, delayed because of the pandemic. Stanlow Refinery is an oil refinery owned by Essar Energy in Ellesmere Port, North West England. This, the auditor said, may cast significant doubt on the companys ability to continue as a going concern. Private equity firm Bartons Family Capital is weighing a takeover of the U.K. Stanlow oil refinery, The Times reported on Sunday. COPYING AND DISTRIBUTING ARE PROHIBITED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER, Refining, Petrochemicals and Gas Processing, Future Uncertain for Long Running Stanlow Refinery in the UK, Online Exclusive (Opinion): Security for U.S. and Europe begins with new energy policy, GEI Hydrogen Project Playbook 2021 In Numbers, SOCAR Makes FID Push for Petrochemical Plant in Turkey. 2023 BBC. LOG IN to view this article.Not Yet A Subscriber? Published. Linklaters and Ashurst have quit as advisers to Essar Oil UK amid doubts about its future, Sky News learns. Does the UK really need to drill for more North Sea oil and gas? A Shell spokeswoman said it was "unfortunate" that it did not make economic sense to continue. "The changes put in place at Stanlow since have already delivered an improved environmental performance in 2020 and we remain determined to build on that progress going forward.".