CEO Welcome

Welcome to this latest update from the Forth Green Freeport team. This edition will focus on the activities being undertaken in the Grangemouth / Falkirk areas following the publication of the Project Willow report which focuses on future investment opportunities in the area with the aim to establish a low carbon manufacturing hub.

The Forth Green Freeport is open for business and with the approval of our Full Business Case (FBC) due soon, the £25 million seed capital fund release will ensure that we deliver sites that are ready for inward investors and can help accelerate investment across the area.

We are actively engaged at a local, national and international level to deliver for Scotland. I’m looking forward to being able to announce more new investment into the Forth Green Freeport which will drive confidence for investors as well as our local communities.

The FBC submission is currently being reviewed by both the UK and Scottish Governments. Following this, Forth Green Freeport’s partners, the three local authorities and Governments will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to allow the release of the seed capital money. The projects which have been identified for development to attract inward investment, will then begin. Operationally the FGF has an active Governance Board in place, we are currently forming the delivery team and we have an active consortium of engaged major private and public sector organisations.

So, watch this space!

The Forth Green Freeport (FGF) welcomes Tom Morris as the new Trade and Investment Manager, Rhona McMillan as Governance and Operations Officer who both joined the team in June. In August, Sharon Pryde will join as as Skills and Fair Work Manager; and Dr. Isobel Marr joins as Innovation and Net Zero Manager.

Tom will work closely with CEO Sarah Murray and consortium partners to lead and deliver the strategy to attract domestic and international businesses to invest and operate across the FGF sites. Rhona will work across the range of Forth Green Freeport activities, from programmes delivering for businesses and communities to FGF internal processes focused on strong transparent governance and reporting.

Sharon and Isobel will lead in the areas of Skills and Fair Work and Innovation and Net Zero which both play a key part in the delivery of the FGF with a requirement for inward investors to sign up to and deliver on the FGF’s Fair Work and Net Zero charters.

Tom, Rhona, Sharon and Isobel all have extensive professional experience in their respective fields and will be a great asset to the the team. A warm welcome to the team!

Following FBC approval and the MoU signing, £25 million of seed funding capital will be unlocked to address the key underdeveloped sites within the FGF area and deliver major economic benefits for Scotland. Importantly, the seed capital funding will be matched by the FGF partners.

Focusing on the key target sectors of offshore wind, hydrogen, sustainable fuels, modular manufacturing and logistics, FGF will support the re-industrialisation of the Forth and large-scale economic regeneration over the next decade.

Throughout the FGF area, there are many areas of underdevelopment and outdated infrastructure which need addressed to attract the level of inward investment envisaged. Examples of some of the initial projects to be delivered using seed capital funding are:

Governance and transparency are at the heart of FGF. We have a consortium of established and successful businesses working with our three local authority partners aligned to the delivery of the vision; a Governance Board chaired by Dame Susan Rice with worker representative from the Scottish TUC; a set of strict Investor Principles and Skills and Net Zero charters in place for inward investors to sign up to ensuring a high standard of delivery.

We are aware of a number of false narratives in circulation which, if left unaddressed, can drive concern in local communities. Consequently, the FGF team are proactively communicating with stakeholders to ensure that any misconceptions / myths about green freeports are addressed through digital and community engagement.

Grangemouth is Open for Business. With its skilled workforce, extensive knowledge base, and critical infrastructure, Grangemouth plays a pivotal role in both Scotland and the UK’s transition to Net Zero.

The Port of Grangemouth, owned by Forth Ports, is Scotland’s largest port and principal freight hub, handling goods representing 30% of Scotland’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) flowing through the port alone. The area is well serviced by three local railways stations and an in-port rail freight terminal and has close access to the M8, M9 and M80 motorways.

Grangemouth is well placed to become the UK’s number one destination for green energy, low carbon fuels and chemicals innovation. Celtic Renewables, which operates Scotland’s first biorefinery at Grangemouth, is a prime example of a business making a meaningful contribution to the community’s transition to net zero, supporting and creating biotechnology jobs.

Forth Green Freeport’s strategic partners in the Grangemouth area are INEOS, Calachem, Falkirk Council and Forth Ports who are all bringing large scale sites of prime industrial land within the Forth Green Freeport Tax Site to the market. These sites are generating a increase in interest from investors as a result of the new incentives available via the Green Freeport.

In addition to the FGF Tax Site incentives, the UK and Scottish Governments recently announced the recommendations of Project Willow, which focuses on the future investment opportunities at Grangemouth and establish a low carbon manufacturing hub in the heart of Scotland. It also identifies policy and regulatory actions that could help stimulate private sector investment.

Scottish Enterprise are leading the work to take forward the proposals set out in Project Willow on behalf of the Scottish and UK Governments. Together, all partners are seeking ambitious, interested parties who are excited to become part of Grangemouth’s future, including:

• Corporate partners and off-takers interested in securing the low carbon products that will be manufactured at Grangemouth and building capability and credibility that can be deployed elsewhere
• Developers and technology providers with experience in the nine technologies identified by Project Willow, and who are willing to work with Government and landowners to realise these opportunities. Project Willow provides a platform to demonstrate products at scale
• Feedstock suppliers who have capacity and interest in maximising the supply chain for low carbon manufacturing

Investors interested in financing commercial low carbon manufacturing projects at Grangemouth. Projects would include, but are not restricted to:

• Waste
• Hydrothermal upgrading (breaking down hard to recycle plastics), chemical plastics recycling and ABE biorefining (breaking down waste material)
• Bio-feedstocks
• Breaking down Scottish timber into bioethanol, anaerobic digestion of bioresources and digestate pyrolysis, and HEFA (conversion of Scottish cover crops into sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel using low carbon hydrogen)
• Offshore wind conduit
• Replacing natural gas with hydrogen, using low carbon hydrogen to produce methanol and convert it to SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) and producing low carbon ammonia from hydrogen for shipping and chemicals

Forth Green Freeport Tax Site incentives are for eligible companies. The Scottish Government has committed £25 million to establish the Grangemouth Just Transition Fund, which will support businesses and stakeholders to bring forward investible propositions for the area. The UK Government has also ring-fenced £200 million via the National Wealth Fund to help unlock Grangemouth’s full potential.

Scottish Enterprise is working alongside both governments, the Scottish National Investment Bank, the National Wealth Fund and the UK Office for Investment on the deployment of this funding. Scottish Enterprise is working at pace with interested parties to identify, prioritise and deliver investment for
Grangemouth. Scottish Enterprise would like to hear from all parties with an interest in the Grangemouth cluster via its enquiries page, by calling 0300 013 2734 or by emailing grangemouth@scotent.co.uk

The Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal is a £100m investment programme funded by the UK and Scottish Governments which is matched by investment from Falkirk Council, Forth Valley College and Scottish Canals. It started delivery in 2025 and is developing with the Grangemouth Sustainable Manufacturing Campus (GSMC) with support from Scottish Enterprise and industry partners. The GSMC aims to provide business with access to specialist equipment and expert support to help develop new industrial processes both around the capture and utilisation of industrial emission and the development of new biological production processes. This project is in development and is interested in hearing from potential partners.

To support the delivery of investable sites capable of hosting the GSMC and other innovation projects, the Growth Deal Strategic Sites project will tackle issues such as site access and poor ground condition at Wholeflats and South Bridge Street in Grangemouth readying these sites for investment.

The Falkirk TIF (Tax Incremental Finance) initiative is bringing forward improvement to the roads and other infrastructure that supports the Grangemouth Industrial Complex. It has been in delivery since 2013 and will continue until 2039. It is funded through retained future growth in non domestic rates and is delivered by Falkirk Council.

The Phase 1 TIF infrastructure projects amount to £71.4 million of investment in road improvements at M9 Junctions 5 and 6, A9/A904 Westfield and Laurieston Road. It has also delivered an Electric Vehicles Charging Hub at Grangemouth Stadium. The current infrastructure programme has also benefitted from £0.5 million of European Union funding for the EV Hub and the Westfield Roundabout receiving £14.1 million from UK Government Funds. It is intended that Phase 2 will include a further £25 million investment contributions for the A801 Avon Gorge project and Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme.

As well as investing in the Industrial Complex, the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal is, through its Greener Grangemouth project, investing in place based regeneration for the town of Grangemouth focusing on community priorities of inclusive growth, wellbeing, health community wealth, capacity and quality of space.

Forth Valley College’s state-of-the-art Falkirk Campus opened in January 2020 and is recognised for its STEM excellence. The college serves a high percentage of the skills needs for the Grangemouth Industrial Complex, delivering Modern Apprentices and skilled including reskilled and upskilled workers for the area’s employers. The College also works collaboratively with the central belt universities in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling, and supports pathways to university for graduate degrees.

With support from the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal, Forth Valley College has commenced delivery of the Skills Transition Centre (STC). Using technology including virtual and augmented reality, simulation, immersive learning, and kit such as robotics, drones, wind turbines, bioreactor, digital studios and classrooms, it will deliver skills programmes which will respond to the emerging sectors and transitioning industries including down-stream petroleum, chemicals and polymers.

The area has a large potential workforce and Forth Valley College preparing for opportunities connected to the Forth Green Freeport, Project Willow and Project Acorn, helping meet skills demands in green technologies, alternative fuels, and renewable energy manufacturing.

The college have also received a £259,000 funding boost from the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board to help attract and train the next generation of engineers here in Scotland’s Central Belt, in addition to receiving £450,000 government funding to support and retrain Petroineos employees. In collaboration with the STC, The Transport, Renewables and Career Exploration Hub (TRACE) will focus on skills in renewable energy (including offshore wind) and green transport and will start this year. This programme, supported by the Growth Deal and delivered by Forth Ports, will offer both outreach and centre-based experiences designed to inspire and equip the future workforce.

The facility is designed to meet current workforce demands while preparing people for the jobs of the future. It will also support those exploring new career paths by offering opportunities to trial sectors before progressing to formal training. It will offer hands-on, accredited training in a digitally equipped, future-ready facility, featuring VR/AR/XR simulators and virtual classrooms to enhance learning and skill development.