Essar marks 15 years of Stanlow ownership
- Essar acquired Stanlow in 2011 and has invested about £1 billion in modernising the refinery.
- A recent £100 million turnaround raised throughput by approximately 8%.
- The site commissioned the UK’s first hydrogen-ready refinery furnace following a £70.9 million investment.
- Essar is advancing a £4.3 billion energy-transition pipeline with over £1 billion nearing FID; Stanlow supports around 5,000 UK jobs and a £426 million UK supply‑chain spend.
Ownership and investment
Essar acquired Stanlow in 2011 and has invested approximately £1 billion to modernise the refinery. Upgrades include reconfiguring the site to a single‑train operation, expanding the range of crude grades processed and upgrading the catalytic cracker.
Operational upgrades
Owned and operated by Essar Energy Transition Fuels, the complex completed a £100 million refinery turnaround that increased throughput by about 8%. The site also commissioned the UK’s first hydrogen‑ready refinery furnace after a £70.9 million investment.
Economic footprint
Independent analysis cited in the release states Stanlow supports around 5,000 UK jobs (direct, indirect and induced), with average employee salaries around double the national average and a UK supply‑chain spend of £426 million.
Growth and energy‑transition plans
Essar is pursuing growth and decarbonisation projects: a retail expansion targeting 800 new locations directly supplied from the refinery; exploration of datacentre opportunities on the Stanlow site powered by onsite hydrogen‑ready generation; and a £4.3 billion low‑carbon investment pipeline, with over £1 billion nearing final investment decision and hydrogen production central to the plan.
Source: Essar
