September 16, 2019 [ForeCourtTrader] – Exxon Mobil has won planning permission for an £800m expansion scheme at its Fawley oil refinery in Hampshire.

The scheme consists of a hydrogen-generating plant, an automotive diesel oil production facility and diesel storage tanks, and the company said expanding production would help reduce diesel imports and create 1,000 construction jobs.

New Forest District Council planning committee agreed the application, which had been recommended for approval by council planners.

A spokeswoman for Exxon Mobil said the development would “help to secure future employment for 2,000 people on site and the many thousands more in the New Forest economy who serve the site and its workers”.

“It would also have a positive impact on UK energy security,” she added.

The Fawley refinery covers an area of more than 1,000 hectares, and is the country’s largest refinery providing about 20% of the UK’s refinery capacity.

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