BP creates 3,000 construction jobs

Petroleum giant BP will create some 3,000 construction jobs as a result of its £500 million investment in new plants at Hull and Grangemouth

The work at Grangemouth in Scotland involves the construction of a combined heat and power project, an ethanol plant and an expansion of the existing 270,000 tonnes KG ethylene cracker.

In Hull the new work involves building a 250,000 tonne per annum vinyl acetate monomer plant and a 220,000 tonnes per annum ethyl acetate plant plus a 150 kilometre pipeline extension of the existing pipeline from Grangemouth to Hull.

The combined projects will create 2,200 jobs at Grangemouth and 900 jobs at Hull between 1998 and 2002.

The construction of the combined heat and power plant is being undertaken by IVO of Finland and Mitsubishi of Japan. The expansion of the 270,000 tonnes per annum ethylene capacity is being undertaken by a combination of BP, Kvaerner, Stone and Webster, Mitsui Babcock Energy Services, Luddon, William Hare, Watson Norrie and SSL.

In Hull, the 250,000 tonnes per annum vinyl acetate monomer plant includes James Scott and Balfour Beatty Construction Limited as part of the construction team.

Kvaerner Process are also involved in the contract to build the 220,000 tonnes ethyl acetate plant at Hull.

A spokeswoman for Kvaerner confirmed involvement in the Hull and Grangemouth projects but refused to make any further comment.

Contractors have yet to be appointed for the 150 kilometre extension of the Grangemouth to Teesside ethylene pipeline.