Fawley oil refinery

Fawley oil refinery By Hannah and ConnorFactors which have made the area attractive for development and economic activities in the area

Fawley oil refinery is the largest refinery in the UK- 3000 people work there.Owned by Esso, it handles 2000 ships and 22 million tonnes of crude oil every year, and has 1.5km of docks.Its location on the Solent means that it is convenient for tankers from Europe.Tankers from the rest of the world reach it via the English channel.Having opened in 1951 it has expanded massively since then.

Fawley has 3 main environmental impacts:There are some pluses to the environment like the 50,000 trees and shrubs planted when the refinery first opened but expansion of the refinery has meant that the surrounding area of salt marshes has been greatly reduced in size.

Effluent from the refinery is the main environmental problem. The heat of the effluent is much greater than that of the estuary water which affects the estuary ecosystem as some species mature more quickly in warmer water and become more abundant, so alter the food web.

Metal pollution, although refinery effluent is monitored to check it for things such as metals and phosphates, these are still emitted, though at lower levels than those legally permitted.The main areas of conflict

There appears to be conflict between the refinery workers and the nature conservationists due to the refinery expanding which means that the surrounding area of salt marshes has been greatly reduced in size which has caused conflict as the salt marshes are designated a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).This is due to the salt marshes:Ecological value due to them containing huge numbers of marine species.Economic value as they offer sheltered water for hipping and sailing boats, and beds for oysters and other shell fish.