Fawley Oil Refinery Case Study of Industrial location

Pictures of the Refinery View from over the sea at Hamble.

Location factors Original built up areas Nearby chemical works Boundary of New Forest Tank farms Fawley oil refinery Supertanker jetty berths S.W. prevailing wind Fawley power station

The Refinery's land and water purposes It was farmland, so it was very cheap to buy. It was very flat, so cheap and easy to build on. It is on a peninsula, so it is far away from other areas. It is now protected so nothing more can be built there preventing a build up in traffic and congestion. Water There is very deep water, allowing the biggest supertankers in the world to dock there. There is a double-high tide, meaning the tide is in for longer, allowing docking to continue for longer during each day.

Advantages brought to Fawley by the Refinery Job creation – skilled jobs such as engineers and scientists (chemical works). Income to the local economy – value of refined oil and the taxes from the business. Less spent on transport costs – allowing the business to make more money meaning they can charge less for the product. Can be imported and exported internationally easily – comes from the tanker to the pipeline directly to the refinery.

Disadvantages brought to Fawley by the Refinery Fewer jobs created for the locals – skilled professionals needed are recruited further up the country. Air pollution created - burning fossil fuels emitting Carbon Dioxide which affects Hamble and other areas over the sea as there are South-Westerly winds going across the country. Noise pollution from the 24 hour ongoing machinery in what is supposed to be a national park. Visual pollution to areas such as Hamble and Netley over the sea as the Refinery stands tall covering most of the skyline.

How has the Oil Refinery impacted on Fawley? The Oil refinery has impacted positively on Fawley as there has been a chemical works and power station built very nearby that can benefit from its trade and also can save huge transport costs and congestion on Fawley’s roads. The oil refinery brings huge income to the economy through trading abroad and also taxes. To compensate for the visual pollution a perimeter of tall trees have been planted to try to cover it. Also a pipeline was built to create even less transport issues of the oil.