Fuels Industry UK comment on future of Lindsey Oil Refinery Assets
LONDON 5 January 2026
Phillips 66 Limited announced on 5th January 2026 that it has agreed to acquire Lindsey Oil Refinery assets and associated infrastructure pending completion subject to satisfaction of closing conditions, including customary regulatory clearances.
Elizabeth de Jong, Chief Executive of Fuels Industry UK, said:
"The announcement that the Lindsey site will - subject to regulatory approvals - be integrated into Humber refinery operations will save key infrastructure that could have been lost. This is welcome news as is the fact that the assets will be taken on by a reputable and well-established operator.
"However, Government must still recognise that today’s news confirms a reduction to the country’s refining capacity. The closure of another refinery underlines how difficult domestic fuel refining has become in a hostile regulatory environment and losing that manufacturing capability is bad for the UK’s industrial and energy future.
"Government must now show the urgency it has so far lacked. We need commitment to a firm timeline for a carbon border mechanism for our fuels that levels the playing field on carbon costs both for imports and exports. Without it, this may not be the last closure we see.
"The UK is now past a tipping point. Successive governments have failed to respond to the growing crisis in domestic refining. Without swift and meaningful policy action, Britain will become almost entirely dependent on imports. Amid escalating geopolitical and energy risks, Britain cannot afford such vulnerability. Closures also mean losing skilled jobs, investment, and control over our fuel supply.”
Refining and the fuels supply chain remains vital to the UK’s energy system, meeting 47% of national final energy demand and underpinning future lower-carbon fuels and industrial clusters. Fuels Industry UK calls on government to show the urgency this moment demands to safeguard what remains of the UK’s refining capability.