Stanlow refinery in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, operated by EET Fuels, exceeded permitted pollution limits on numerous occasions over a two-year period, according to Environment Agency reports obtained by investigative journalists. The facility, one of only four remaining oil refineries in the UK, processes approximately 10 million tonnes of crude oil annually and produces roughly 18% of the country’s road transport fuel. EET Fuels, which acquired the refinery from Shell in 2011, holds an operating permit that allows controlled discharges of oil and chemicals into air and waterways, provided the company limits environmental harm.
Regulatory documents indicate that permitted chemical release levels were exceeded hundreds of times during 2023 and 2024, with the Environment Agency determining 58 separate breaches of permit conditions occurred across the two-year period. Substances released at levels far exceeding permitted amounts included sulphur dioxide at seven times allowed levels, cyanide at more than eight times permitted levels, and oil at more than thirteen times the allowed threshold. These pollutants entered local waterways including Thornton Brook and the River Gowy, which flow into the River Mersey Estuary, a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest home to endangered species such as dolphins and nesting grounds for rare birds.
A particularly significant incident occurred in September 2024 when more than a tonne of oil spilled from the site into Thornton Brook and spread across the estuary. The company failed to provide timely notification of the spill volume, breaching regulations requiring reporting within 24 hours. The resulting response involved multiple agencies including regulators, port authorities, and fisheries officials. Testing conducted by the Food Standards Authority led to a five-week closure of local cockle beds, impacting commercial fishing operations in the area.
EET Fuels stated it takes environmental responsibilities seriously and characterized the reported exceedances as historical data unrepresentative of current operations. The Environment Agency is conducting separate criminal investigations into the incidents and has yet to determine what enforcement action will be taken regarding the 2023 breaches. Natural England also initiated an investigation following the 2024 spill.
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