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Mossmorran and Braefoot Bay Complexes

Mossmorran is situated near Cowdenbeath, 20km north of Edinburgh. The Mossmorran complex consists of two neighbouring plants: the Fife Natural Gas Liquids (FNGL) Plant operated by Shell U.K. Limited and the Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) operated by ExxonMobil Chemical Limited.

The Fife Ethylene Plant ceased operations in February 2026 and is currently being decommissioned. SEPA continue to regulate the plant, undertaking regular contact and inspections.

Latest update

Community Notice - Shell Fife NGL Plant - Planned use of flares

Date published: 10 June 2026

The operator has shared the following community notice:

"We will be operating our flares intermittently from Thursday 11th to Wednesday 17th June 2026. This is a planned activity following operational work carried out upstream of Fife NGL. 

"Flaring is a normal and safely managed part of our operations. While we aim to minimise flaring, at times, controlled use of the flares is necessary for operational work. We recognise that the flare can be seen locally in daylight and at night, and we aim to minimise any impact on the nearby community. I want to assure you that the work has been carefully planned for, and we aim to keep any impact minimal by prioritising the controlled use of the ground flares where possible. 

"We have informed the regulator SEPA.

"Please contact us if you have any questions or comment. Our notices and contact details are also on the plant website."

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