A decision to close a fuel terminal near Carlisle has led to concern among petrol suppliers over where the fuel will be sourced in the future.
Petroineos announced in September that the Grangemouth refinery would be closing early near year. Now it’s emerged a network of small fuel terminals served by the refinery will also close. Among them is the Dalston terminal which serves north Cumbria and the Scottish border region.
A spokesman for Petroineos said: “Last month, we confirmed our intention to cease refinery operations at Grangemouth during the second quarter of 2025. We currently supply a range of fuels by rail to Dalston for onward distribution to customers in the north of England. We have been incurring financial losses on supplies into Dalston for some time now, along with the wider financial losses being incurred by the refinery. Our rail contract expires at the end of the year and we have informed customers at Dalston that we won’t be renewing that contract, giving them time to arrange alternative sources in a market that is well-served by other refineries and suppliers.”
But for those whose businesses depend on Dalston for petrol supplies, the news has come as a shock.
“I only found out on Monday,” Ian Chambers of Chambers Garage in Tirril, near Penrith, said. ”The closure doesn’t effect diesel or heating oil supplies but it does mean we’re going to have to look for a new supplier for petrol.”
And with those likely to be outside Cumbria, the cost of transporting the fuel will be higher and will have to be passed onto drivers.
The hope is coordinating supplies among petrol stations may be the answer but with the closure imminent time to arrange this kind of agreement is tight.
