PLANS to build an oil re-refining plant in Eastham, creating up to 40 jobs, have been revealed.

Hydrodec Group wants to build on land near the QE2 Dock and Nustar Terminal and establish its European headquarters on the site.

The company said the plant would re-introduce of base oil to Wirral and is working on a planning application which it will submit to the local authority.

If approved, work will take approximately 12-18 months to complete the first phase of the development and the plan is for the plant to be operational by the end of 2016.

The plant will create jobs for around 40 people including office workers, shift workers, security staff and roles of a specialist nature.

If approved, MSC Eastham's football pitch will be moved to upgraded facilities at a site in Bromborough Pool, approximately two miles north of the site.

In a statement on its website, Hydrodec Group said: "We considered various potential sites in the UK for the new re-refinery. We selected Eastham for a number of reasons.

"In particular, the Eastham Port facility and the site’s easy access to the motorway provides good transport links by river and by road, whilst ensuring that our trucks will never need to drive through local villages.

"The availability of the Nustar storage facility next door also means that the size of the new plant can be kept to a minimum.

"Locating the plant at Eastham means that we can provide jobs to the local talent pool that already live in and around the area.

"We are also keen to create opportunities for young people by developing apprentice programme.

"The used oil will arrive at the plant by ship and by road as it has to Nustar for many years.

"We have worked with transport and shipping consultants to establish the best possible routes into and out of the site so as to cause the least amount of disruption to local residents, wildlife and traffic flow.

"We promise that our trucks will never drive through Eastham village.

"We have consulted with the Traffic Transport and Highway Consultancy to identify a route that will cause the least disruption to local residents."

Wirral Council said it was aware that of plans for the plant, but could not comment further as no planning application had been submitted yet.