As 2015 comes to an end, Ineos (Rolle / Switzerland; www.ineos.com) can book the year as the decisive turning point in becoming what it says is “the UK’s leading shale gas company.” After having acquired a string of both on- and offshore exploration licenses (for most recent coverage, see Plasteurope.com of 16.10.2015), the company in mid-December won another 21 new shale gas licenses, located in the North West, North Yorkshire and the East Midlands. Acquired during the UK government’s 14th Licensing Round, the permits give Ineos access to another 700,000 acres. Its previous licenses covered an area of about 300,000 acres.

The latest acquisitions give the chemicals group access to the areas around Runcorn and Newton Aycliffe, where its 50:50 joint venture with Solvay, Inovyn, operates plants. The licenses do not include planning permissions, and Ineos says it will engage in full consultations with the local communities before going ahead with any shale gas developments. To make extraction more palatable, the company has said it will offer local communities 6% of the proceeds (see Plasteurope.com of 01.10.2014).

The group said that in addition to using shale gas as a feedstock, it is also capable of employing it as a power source, thereby underpinning the competitiveness of its UK sites. Company chairman Jim Ratcliffe called the latest developments “the start of a shale gas revolution that will transform manufacturing in the UK.”