Scottish Infrastructure

[eez-eh]

1 minute ago, HibeeJibee said:

Ok... but 2 months in it must be known whether it needs knocked down or not? plus what will be different in January i.e. will the roads line and station never reopen?!

What if this was shutting a mainline/motorway/etc.?

Nothing, most likely. It was October at first, then November, last week it was December and now it’s January.

It was a month between the fire and them actually starting any work on it.

[alta-pete]

I think a generally good news story about Prestwick Airport:

https://dailybusinessgroup.co.uk/2023/11/military-operations-help-support-prestwick-airport/amp/

The good news:

Pretax profit £900k

Ryanair, currently employing 500 people, commit for another 5 years

Estimated valuation £11.6M

I suppose the only fly in the good news ointment being that it has cost SG £52M to get here.  

 

[AUcal]

On 17/11/2023 at 17:29, eez-eh said:

It’s been certified dangerous since 2018 and been on fire several times since then. I’m sure they could find a way to demolish it if there weren’t a bunch of lunatics in the council still campaigning to restore a white elephant hotel at a cost of f**k knows what.

But a timely reminder that the same council recently demolished 2 of the 3 Ayr high flats before realising that the huge phone mast on the third one would stop them from finishing the job, leaving the site derelict for years. They really don’t deserve any benefit of the doubt.

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/last-ayr-tower-block-remains-after-halt-on-demolitions

Aye the folk that were still holding out hope of renovating it, even prior to the fire, were living in a fantasy. It's an absolute mess. How did we end up in a position where it was sold to someone who clearly has absolutely no interest in the building and cannot be traced at all? Mental.

One of the biggest towns in the country completely cut off from the rail network, relying on buses to take folk to and from Prestwick. Can see this going on way into 2024 tbh.

But aye the high flats debacle is proof enough of the complete ineptness of the council. Don't really have any faith in them sorting any part of it. I think it'll take Network Rail or ScotRail to try be the ones to get things moving (i.e. managing to utilise the platforms by somehow making safe the wreckage of the building, if possible).

Worth noting though, that the work to rebuild one side of Troon station has only just really got going, over 2 years since the fire there.

[ajwffc]

Trains should return to Ayr soon but nothing on the line down to Stranraer now until Jan 

 

[razamanaz]

I thought the idea was to get people out of their cars and save the planet?

https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/politics/council/falkirk-council-proposing-changes-to-bus-services-you-may-have-to-book-your-seat-two-hours-in-advance-4417380

[gav-ffc]

6 hours ago, razamanaz said:

I thought the idea was to get people out of their cars and save the planet?

https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/politics/council/falkirk-council-proposing-changes-to-bus-services-you-may-have-to-book-your-seat-two-hours-in-advance-4417380

These services are often empty but I know a few people who use them and this seems daft.

[Dunfermline Don]

I don’t know if this will make Scotland unique in being an oil producing nation but not having the refining capacity?

However, will it mean Falkirk can now build a 4th stand as it will no longer be in the blast zone! 

[highlandmac]

On 21/11/2023 at 15:37, razamanaz said:

I thought the idea was to get people out of their cars and save the planet?

https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/politics/council/falkirk-council-proposing-changes-to-bus-services-you-may-have-to-book-your-seat-two-hours-in-advance-4417380

That's the talk,but we all know that's all it ever is

[mathematics]

5 hours ago, Dunfermline Don said:

However, will it mean Falkirk can now build a 4th stand as it will no longer be in the blast zone! 

What do they need that for?

[Binos]

Absolute disgrace this is being allowed to close 

[HibeeJibee]

On 09/10/2023 at 18:33, HibeeJibee said:

North Inch residents' criticise floodgates closure delay - BBC News

Flood risk area in Perth flooded despite having flood defences after the council didn't expect it would flood, then having realised it might, couldn't get to the floodgates in time due to flooding...

 

On 09/10/2023 at 19:25, Archie McSquackle said:

If only the heavy rain had been forecast . 

Flood gate closure delay may have led to Perth property damage - BBC News

Bell's Sport Centre flood damage repairs could reach £2m - BBC News

[101]

7 hours ago, Dunfermline Don said:

I don’t know if this will make Scotland unique in being an oil producing nation but not having the refining capacity?

However, will it mean Falkirk can now build a 4th stand as it will no longer be in the blast zone! 

Is this getting moved to a "free port" somewhere? Presuming Ineos will still have a refinery somewhere in Britain. Does seem strange to move it and considerable cost when it's importance is going to to be reduced in the next 50 years.

[Soapy FFC]

13 minutes ago, 101 said:

Is this getting moved to a "free port" somewhere? Presuming Ineos will still have a refinery somewhere in Britain. Does seem strange to move it and considerable cost when it's importance is going to to be reduced in the next 50 years.

Petroineos (Ineos & PetroChina) only have two refineries, Grangemouth and Lavera in France. Ineos only really got into refining when they bought the two refineries as part of the purchase of Innovene, the petrochemicals business that BP sold off. The two refineries at those sites were so integrated with the petrochemical parts that BP sold the whole lot rather than holding onto the refineries. Ineos have never really liked having refineries due to the costs involved in running them, hence why they went into partnership with PetroChina (who had deep pockets), so it's not really a surprise that they are now pulling the plug on Grangemouth. There is a part of me that thinks this may be part of a plan by Ineos to try and get funding from the governments, but I think that's just wishful thinking, but given how Ineos has conducted business in the past I wouldn't put it past them. However, given the state of refining in Europe, it was probably only time before at least one refinery closed, so it was just a big game of chicken to decide what refinery it would be.

Once/if it closes, there will still be a terminal importing products and distributing them to the various markets. This type of thing has already happened with several UK refineries over the last 20 years or so.

Elsewhere in the UK Inoes are a chemicals company, apart from the Forties pipeline that brings oil from the North Sea for processing before being exported to the various markets.

[Bairnardo]

38 minutes ago, Soapy FFC said:

Petroineos (Ineos & PetroChina) only have two refineries, Grangemouth and Lavera in France. Ineos only really got into refining when they bought the two refineries as part of the purchase of Innovene, the petrochemicals business that BP sold off. The two refineries at those sites were so integrated with the petrochemical parts that BP sold the whole lot rather than holding onto the refineries. Ineos have never really liked having refineries due to the costs involved in running them, hence why they went into partnership with PetroChina (who had deep pockets), so it's not really a surprise that they are now pulling the plug on Grangemouth. There is a part of me that thinks this may be part of a plan by Ineos to try and get funding from the governments, but I think that's just wishful thinking, but given how Ineos has conducted business in the past I wouldn't put it past them. However, given the state of refining in Europe, it was probably only time before at least one refinery closed, so it was just a big game of chicken to decide what refinery it would be.

Once/if it closes, there will still be a terminal importing products and distributing them to the various markets. This type of thing has already happened with several UK refineries over the last 20 years or so.

Elsewhere in the UK Inoes are a chemicals company, apart from the Forties pipeline that brings oil from the North Sea for processing before being exported to the various markets.

Yeah it wouldn't be far from the standard Ineos playbook to be strong arming some sort of deal but their MO is squeezing things till they die. Given the utterly ludicrous money being made by the refinery since Ukraine kicked off, it wouldn't be too surprising to see some private equity vultures taking a chance on ringing another TAR cycles worth of profits out it and leaving Ineos holding the import export stuff for after. Theres no long term future in refining at Grangemouth though even if a temporary stay does appear from somewhere. That much seems clear

[101]

9 hours ago, Soapy FFC said:

Petroineos (Ineos & PetroChina) only have two refineries, Grangemouth and Lavera in France. Ineos only really got into refining when they bought the two refineries as part of the purchase of Innovene, the petrochemicals business that BP sold off. The two refineries at those sites were so integrated with the petrochemical parts that BP sold the whole lot rather than holding onto the refineries. Ineos have never really liked having refineries due to the costs involved in running them, hence why they went into partnership with PetroChina (who had deep pockets), so it's not really a surprise that they are now pulling the plug on Grangemouth. There is a part of me that thinks this may be part of a plan by Ineos to try and get funding from the governments, but I think that's just wishful thinking, but given how Ineos has conducted business in the past I wouldn't put it past them. However, given the state of refining in Europe, it was probably only time before at least one refinery closed, so it was just a big game of chicken to decide what refinery it would be.

Once/if it closes, there will still be a terminal importing products and distributing them to the various markets. This type of thing has already happened with several UK refineries over the last 20 years or so.

Elsewhere in the UK Inoes are a chemicals company, apart from the Forties pipeline that brings oil from the North Sea for processing before being exported to the various markets.

So the new oil fields would have the oil pumped to grangemouth and then exported for processing? Or do pipes of crude oil run further south than grangemouth?

I'm thinking the Scottish Government could surely just be wide and say you can't build any new pipelines.

Hopefully something is sorted out for the staff but it does seem like all the major processing plants in the central belt are dying on their arse Exxons plant in Cowdenbeath and Aberdour hasn't been modernised and looks in terrible nick.

[effeffsee_the2nd]

5 hours ago, 101 said:

So the new oil fields would have the oil pumped to grangemouth and then exported for processing? Or do pipes of crude oil run further south than grangemouth?

I'm thinking the Scottish Government could surely just be wide and say you can't build any new pipelines.

Hopefully something is sorted out for the staff but it does seem like all the major processing plants in the central belt are dying on their arse Exxons plant in Cowdenbeath and Aberdour hasn't been modernised and looks in terrible nick.

Crude from the north sea is generally not refined at Grangemouth any more, there is a pipeline from the receiving terminal to storage capacity at dalmany outside Queensferry and floating loading jetties under the forth bridge, they have been there for years but since the mid 2000 they have sent most of the crude for export.  nowadays the oil from the north sea is too high in Sulphur, acid and other stuff to be handled by the refinery and is mostly exported. the refinery imports crude from elsewhere like any other refinery. 

The new oil fields are in the west of Shetland which have never been connected by pipeline, they will use offshore loading and export direct to market like the existing fields in that area.

Refining in first world countries  (except the USA) is finished.

Also, the 4th stand blastzone theory is complete pish

[Silvio Tattiescone]

[Left Back]

CalMac small ferries replacement plan delayed https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-67536095

[TxRover]

12 hours ago, Left Back said:

CalMac small ferries replacement plan delayed https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-67536095

Probably had Ferguson suggest really long extension cords…or they’re worried that some c**t in a yacht will be blocking the charge point at the harbour!

[alta-pete]

Escaping off for a few nights in the Mediterranean sun, got some cheap flights from Prestwick Airport. Robbing bassas have really upped their parking charges - £80 for 6 days!! More expensive than the flight. Do I blame the SNP or the Greens? Am I doing it right?