Syngenta has announced that it will begin formal consultations to shut down all operations at its Grangemouth site, a move that could make 377 employees redundant. The decision comes just over a year after the firm received more than £2 million in Scottish Enterprise funding to expand the same facility.
Announcement and consultation
On Thursday 1 October 2026 Syngenta confirmed that a detailed review of its Grangemouth operations had concluded the site remains significantly more expensive to run than alternative production locations, despite extensive cost‑saving efforts. The company said it is now entering a consultation period with staff and trade‑union representatives, stressing that no final decision has been reached.
Mike Hollands, Syngenta Crop Protection’s global head of production and supply and president of Syngenta UK, told workers: “The workforce at Grangemouth is highly skilled and passionate but, despite all efforts, we have not been able to make the Grangemouth site competitive compared to alternative supply options. It is with a very heavy heart that we make this proposal, but we are committed to a constructive consultation and will continue to consider options as part of that process.”
Economic backdrop
The announcement echoes the closure of Scotland’s last oil refinery at Grangemouth just twelve months earlier, which resulted in more than 400 job losses. Syngenta noted that the £2 million-plus grant from Scottish Enterprise, awarded to expand the plant, has not been enough to offset the site’s persistent cost disadvantage amid rising international competition and challenging energy prices.
Although the firm identified potential savings, it said those measures would still fall short of closing the competitiveness gap, leaving closure as the only viable option under current market conditions.
Political and community reaction
Gillian Mackay, the Scottish Greens MSP for Central Scotland, described the prospect as “another devastating blow” for workers and the local community. She urged both governments to do more to protect jobs and ensure that the transition to a greener future benefits those affected.
Meghan Gallacher, the Conservative MSP for Central Scotland, warned that the closure would add to a pattern of deindustrialisation in the area, citing the recent shutdowns of the oil refinery and the Alexander Dennis plant in Falkirk. She called on SNP and Labour ministers to collaborate urgently to save jobs and create new opportunities.
A Scottish Government spokesperson confirmed that the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport had been informed of Syngenta’s intention to start formal consultation earlier on the same day the announcement was made public.
Why it Matters
The potential loss of nearly four hundred jobs at Grangemouth would deepen the economic scar left by recent plant closures, threatening the livelihoods of families who have depended on the site for generations and testing the ability of local and national authorities to deliver a just transition amid shifting industrial landscapes.
