The UK Government has issued guidance to businesses that use chemicals on the actions they should take now to minimise any disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

If the UK leaves the EU on 29 March without a deal, UK businesses that manufacture or import chemicals from the EU will have to register those chemicals to a new UK regulatory system. UK REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) will replace EU REACH and will require businesses to demonstrate how a chemical can be safely used with minimal risk to human health or the environment.

The chemicals sector is the UK’s second biggest manufacturing industry and UK businesses currently hold over 12,000 registrations with REACH. A ‘no deal’ would mean that a range of other key sectors would also be required to register any imported chemicals they use on UK REACH. This would include the motor manufacturing, cosmetics, construction and cleaning products industries.

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said:

“Delivering a negotiated deal with the EU remains the Government’s top priority, but it is the job of a responsible Government to ensure we are prepared for all scenarios, including no deal.

“It is not just chemicals producers that could be affected by this change so I encourage all businesses that use chemicals to read the guidance on the HSE website and check whether they need to take action.”

Under the new requirements, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal:

• UK businesses that manufacture a chemical (those currently registered to EU REACH) will need to validate their existing registration with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) within 60 days of the UK leaving the EU.
• UK businesses that import a chemical substance from the EU will need to notify HSE within 180 days of UK leaving the EU.
• UK businesses that export chemicals to the EU will need to have an EU REACH registration in place once the UK leaves the EU.

In addition, more technical information will need to be submitted by businesses to HSE within two years of EU Exit. The requirements are part of the Government’s commitment to maintain environmental standards after we leave the EU.

In order to register on UK REACH in a no deal scenario, businesses need to take the following action:

• Identify the chemical and quantity that they use;
• Understand how to register that chemical by reading the EU Exit guidance; and
• Prepare the information for that registration.
• Businesses that may be affected should read the latest guidance on requirements for using chemicals after the UK leaves the EU on HSE.GOV.UK/EuExitReach

INEOS will build a new VAM (Vinyl Acetate Monomer) facility at its Saltend site in Hull

The investment will create 40 new jobs, doubling the size of the workforce

The new unit will comprise a 300kt per year of VAM, to be sold in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world

Graham Beesley CEO of INEOS Oxide said: “This is an exciting time for INEOS and great news for manufacturing in the region. We are proud to be bringing production of this important material back to the UK. This will not only strengthen UK manufacturing but boost exports from the UK to Europe and the globe.”

Today INEOS has announced it will build a new Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM) plant in Hull through a   £150 million investment.

The unit will form part of INEOS’ £1 billion investment in the UK designed to ensure its British assets stay world class for a generation.

The capacity of the plant at the INEOS site in Hull is expected to be 300,000 tonnes per year. The investment will bring production of an important raw material back to the UK. VAM is a key component in a wide range of important high-end products including laminated windscreens, toughened glass, adhesives, coatings, films, textiles and carbon fibre.

It will meet the growing demand for VAM in Europe and across the globe, supporting INEOS’ strong position as a leading supplier to a wide range of markets. The investment is underpinned by the availability of raw materials from Grangemouth and other investment in import and export infrastructure to ensure the site’s ability to produce and deliver competitively.

Graham Beesley CEO of INEOS Oxide said “This is an exciting time for INEOS and great news for manufacturing in the region. We are proud to be bringing production of this important material back to the UK. This will not only strengthen UK manufacturing but boost exports from the UK to Europe and the rest of the world. This investment underlines our commitment to manufacturing in the UK and our faith in the Hull site and our skilled and committed workforce.”

Park Xpress Newsletter February 2019

Welcome to the first edition of Park Xpress.  This new, regular newsletter aims to keep you informed and up to date about activities and developments at Saltend Chemicals Park.

We would like to make you aware that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will be holding five, one-day stakeholder events across the UK covering EU Exit and its impact on the chemical regimes in a no-deal scenario.

The events will include:

• a session by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on non-regulatory information for businesses to help prepare for EU Exit;
• sessions led by HSE on the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR), Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) and Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regimes;
• and sessions led by Defra on Plant Protection Products (PPP) and the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals (REACH).

The events will include some similar messaging to previous events but will reflect the current state of play. All five events will follow the same format.

These events will be more widely advertised on Monday 11^th February, however we would like to give you the opportunity to share with your members and allow them early access to book a place. If they would like to attend they should use the links provided below, further details on the events are provided in the link. Please note a ticket will be required to enter the event.

To allow as many as possible of your members and other organisations to attend, and as all events will follow the same format, we kindly ask that you consider the most appropriate location and send a maximum of two representatives across all five events.

KCOM Stadium, Hull on Wednesday 27^th February 2019

Book a place here.

Sophia Gardens Stadium, Cardiff on Friday 1^st March 2019

Book a place here.

Millennium Gloucester, London on Tuesday 5^th March 2019

Book a place here.

 Chester Racecourse, Chester on Thursday 7^th March 2019

Book a place here.

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh on Friday 15^th March 2019

Book a place here.

The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has published a policy paper on The Grand Challenge Missions including establishing the world’s first net-zero carbon industrial cluster by:

• reducing emissions in 1 cluster to net-zero by 2040
• in at least 1 cluster, by 2030:
  • the low-carbon infrastructure needed to support industrial decarbonisation will be in place and operational, attracting new investment and innovation
  • multiple industrial facilities will already have reduced their emissions, by the greatest possible extent
• positioning UK clusters as top areas for global inward investment and driving demand for low carbon products and technologies by harnessing the power of markets, the public sector, universities and local communities

Success in this mission would transform our industrial clusters into world leading low-carbon manufacturing hubs, safeguarding existing jobs and companies on which the prosperity of key regions depends.

It will further establish the UK’s position at the forefront of the global shift to Clean Growth by developing world-leading expertise in green manufacturing products, and the technologies and services required to produce them. The mission aims to attract inward investment, new business and employment opportunities.

It will support the cost-effective decarbonisation of our industrial sector, which accounts for around a quarter of all UK GHG emissions.

• Industrial Clusters infographic

Up to £170 million from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund will support the mission through the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge.