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The Grangemouth refinery has now ceased processing crude oil, its owner Petroineos has confirmed.

The industrial site in central Scotland was the last oil refinery operating north of the border.

In September last year, the company said the refining activities would cease in 2025 as it transitions to become an import terminal for finished fuels.

The impending closure of the refinery, which first opened in 1924, led to fears for employment in the area.

In recent months, hundreds of workers have taken voluntary redundancy while a number of compulsory redundancies have also been made.

A significant report commissioned by the Scottish and UK governments, known as Project Willow, aimed to chart a future for the site in low-carbon energy.

But the report said this would require around £3.5 billion of private investment.

Petroineos has said the refinery is loss-making and has rejected claims from unions that the site could easily transition into a hub for producing sustainable aviation fuel.

Iain Hardie, regional head of legal and external affairs, said: “Grangemouth refinery is no longer processing crude oil.

“Petroineos has invested £50 million in creating a modern import and distribution terminal capable of receiving finished fuels by sea for onward distribution to customers around the country.

“From today, we will be importing all the products necessary to meet Scotland’s demand for transport fuels.”

He continued: “We would like to pay tribute to the workforce here.

“Our colleagues have shown incredible commitment, dignity and resilience during months of uncertainty regarding the future of this facility, through the consultation period, phased shutdown and the start of refinery decommissioning.

“It has been a challenging period but their professionalism has ensured security of fuel supply to our customers across Scotland and beyond.”

Other parts of the wider Grangemouth complex, including the Forties pipeline system which links to the North Sea, will not be affected by the site’s closure.