Ryan FowlerUnite, the union representing workers at Argent Energy, is urging the Scottish government to intervene as the company announces the closure of its biodiesel plant in Newarthill, threatening 75 jobs. The plant is set to be mothballed by 31 May, despite the company maintaining operations in Ellesmere Port, England, and Amsterdam, Holland.
This development marks a significant setback for Scotland’s green jobs sector, with Argent Energy citing competition from subsidised Chinese biodiesel imports and regulatory barriers to importing essential feedstocks from the EU as key reasons for the closure.
The union highlights the availability of the Scottish government’s £500 million just transition fund and low emission scheme grants, which it argues should be utilised to keep the plant operational.
Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, emphasised the critical role of the Newarthill workforce in advancing Scotland’s green jobs strategy. “The Scottish government needs to step in now, or else its green jobs strategy will be in ruins,” she stated. Unite is committed to exploring all options to prevent the closure.
Esther O’Hara, Unite’s industrial officer, described the impending closure as a severe blow not only to the employees and their families but also to the Scottish government’s ambitions for a just transition to a greener economy. She criticised the lack of governmental action in Edinburgh and London to support the sector in the face of international competition.
