All three INEOS chemical plants at Saltend are being mothballed after the company said high UK gas prices had made production uneconomic.
Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart is seeking an urgent meeting with government ministers over the announcement, which represents another major blow to industry in the Humber following the closure of the neighbouring Vivergo bioethanol plant last year.
INEOS employs 245 people directly at Saltend and says a permanent closure of the plants could affect close to 4,000 jobs across the Humber region.
However, workers are being kept on while the company attempts to secure cheaper gas and restart production.
Mr Stuart, who has been holding talks with INEOS and ministers over the pressures facing the Saltend site, said he wanted to see the plants brought back into production.
He said: “This is a sad day for Saltend and another serious blow for industry in our area after the closure of Vivergo.
“My thoughts today are first with the people who work there and their families. I’m pleased INEOS is keeping its workforce in place while it tries to secure cheaper gas and get these plants producing again.”
The three plants produce acetic acid, acetic anhydride and ethyl acetate, chemicals used in products ranging from medicines, cosmetics and detergents to clothing, construction materials and military explosives.
INEOS says gas is particularly important to the operations because it is used both as an energy source and as a raw material in production.
Mr Stuart, pictured below, has worked with the company for several years and has been meeting representatives regularly in recent months as pressure on the plants has increased.
In October 2025, he met INEOS Acetyls chief executive David Brooks and business minister Sir Chris Bryant to discuss international competition facing the chemicals industry. He has since continued discussions with INEOS, px Group, ministers and regulators about the future of Saltend.
Mr Stuart said the implications of losing the plants would extend well beyond those directly employed there.
He added: “Saltend supports skilled jobs, apprenticeships and businesses across the Humber. If we lose major industries like this, we don’t just lose jobs. We lose skills and experience that have taken generations to build.
“What happens in Westminster can sometimes feel a long way from East Yorkshire, but decisions about energy and trade have consequences here. They affect whether plants stay open, whether businesses invest and whether people have good jobs to go to.
“British industry is struggling with high energy costs. I want to see these plants producing again, which is why I am seeking an urgent meeting with mninisters to discuss what can be done to secure their future.”
The announcement comes little more than a year after the closure of Vivergo’s neighbouring bioethanol plant, which Mr Stuart had also campaigned to save through meetings with workers and Ministers and a visit to the site.
Andrew Bowie, shadow energy security and net zero secretary, also called on the Government to address industrial energy costs.
He said: “Manufacturers are being squeezed by energy costs that make it harder to compete with America and China. When production stops, it is skilled workers and industrial communities like those on the Humber that pay the price.
“Ministers now need to show they understand the seriousness of this and set out how they will bring down the cost of energy for British industry.”