 The green fuel site would be near Grangemouth's crude oil refinery |
An international manufacturer has applied for permission to build one of Europe's biggest bio-diesel plants at Grangemouth, near Falkirk. The town is home to a refinery operated by the company - Ineos Enterprises.
It said if permission is granted, its biodiesel plant would aim to produce annual output of half a million tonnes, starting in mid-2008.
A spokesperson for Falkirk Council confirmed that an application had been received by the council.
It is understood that there are a number of complex issues to be studied by officials.
'Alternative fuel'
INEOS, the UK's biggest privately-owned company, currently has one other biodiesel facility in France.
As well as the Grangemouth site, the company is planning to build three more sites in Belgium, Germany and a second one in France.
The Grangemouth development has been valued at �65m.
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel made from renewable sources like vegetable oils. It can either be mixed with petroleum-based diesel or, in some industrial processes, used on its own.
Using biofuels is considered one way of helping to tackle climate change, although some environmentalists argue that adapting overall transport policy would be more effective.
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