ExxonMobil Chemical's Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) is one of Europe's largest and most modern ethylene plants. Construction at Mossmoran, 25 miles north of Edinburgh, began in 1981 and the plant was officially opened by the Queen in 1986. It was the first plant specifically designed to use natural gas liquids from the North Sea as feedstock. Around 230 employees and 50 core contractors work at the plant that has an annual capacity of 830,000 tonnes of ethylene.

To make ethylene, ethane feedstock is heated to almost 1,000 degrees Celsius to 'crack' it to ethylene in the steam cracking furnaces. The gas stream is then cooled to below -50 degrees Celsius to recover the valuable ethylene product.

By-product gases from processing are used as fuel in the plant's furnaces and gas turbine. The unit produces electricity in a highly energy efficient way. The ethylene plant and offices are now virtually self-sufficient in energy.

Around 50 per cent of the ethylene produced is distributed via the UK ethylene pipeline network. The balance is pumped to Braefoot Bay Marine Terminal on the Firth of Forth where it is stored as a liquid at 103 degrees C and shipped to Antwerp.

The safety, health and environmental (SHE) performance at the Fife Ethylene Plant is consistently high. In addition to ExxonMobil's own SHE management audit systems, the plant is regularly monitored by inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Fife Council's Environmental department which monitors noise coming from the site.

Employees at our Fife plant have worked closely with local communities for over 20 years. A Liaison Committee gives the company's senior managers and community representatives a forum for regular dialogue about local issues and opportunities.  We also have a well established programme of community support in the area.