Limited options for future of Whitegate oil refinery according to the FGE head of refining

The future of the country’s sole oil refinery could be secured through a joint venture or by branching into cleaner fuels, a leading analyst has claimed.

Whitegate oil refinery’s viability is likely to come into sharper focus in the coming months as stakeholders look to find a way to retain the 300 jobs supported by the Cork facility after its owner, Phillips 66, put it up for sale last November.

Whitegate’s US owners have an obligation to operate the facility until July but with Phillips looking to offload the refinery and an election looming pressure is growing to secure its future.