IT'S all systems go again at Mossmorran as normal production has resumed today (Friday).

The Fife Ethylene Plant had been undergoing a full re-start after bosses ExxonMobil shut down the plant in August after boiler failure.

The return to normal production comes a day after concerns over the plant were raised to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Scottish Parliament.

Recent flaring at Mossmorran prompted ExxonMobil to apologise to the local community after 'fluctuations' with their elevated flare.

Jacob McAlister, plant manager, stated this afternoon: "I am pleased to advise you that the Fife Ethylene Plant has now returned to production. Most importantly, this re-start was executed safely at each and every stage.

“In re-starting equipment after an extended period, we took the time required to diligently test and re-test processes and safety procedures.

“While I am sure we would all have liked to have returned to production more quickly, we will never compromise the safety of our staff or the public.

“We also took a series of actions to significantly reduce the rate of the required elevated flaring, consistent with our commitment to the needs of local communities.

“We will implement any learnings from every part of the re-start process so that we continually improve, and further reduce elevated flaring in the future.

“As a safety mechanism, our flare remains a vital part of our operations and so we cannot rule out the need to use it in the future.

“However, the additional work we have conducted during the temporary shut-down is designed to help improve operational reliability and reduce the requirement for unplanned flaring.

“We will keep you updated on future developments, including our additional £140m investment in maintenance, modernisation and new technologies, which will see Fife benefit from a further 850 skilled personnel coming to work at our facility.

“We thank our neighbours in local communities for their continued patience throughout.”

Mossmorran Action Group (MAG) have organised a meeting at Lochgelly Town Hall for tonight (Friday), from 7-9pm.

For a full recap of recent events at Mossmorran, please read yesterday's piece here.