ePURE elects new officers

ePURE, the European renewable ethanol association, has elected Alarik Sandrup as its new president for a two-year term.

Sandrup, the director of public and regulatory affairs for Lantmännen, had previously served as ePURE’s vice-president.

In his new role, Sandrup takes over from Antonio Vallespir of Vertex Bioenergy, who had served as ePURE president since 2024.

Sandrup is also president of the Swedish Bioenergy Association (Svebio) and Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry.

“This is an important moment for the European ethanol industry,” Sandrup said.

“EU policymakers, including the European Commission President, now talk about the strategic importance of domestic renewable ethanol production. I look forward to working with ePURE members on ensuring that those words lead to actions that empower a ‘homegrown’ solution to EU transport de-fossilisation, energy independence, food security and competitiveness.”

ePURE members also elected Fritz Georg von Graevenitz, CEO of CropEnergies, as the association’s new vice-president.

“Europe needs to break free of its dependence on imported fossil resources,” von Graevenitz said, “and renewable ethanol is an immediate, cost-effective, sustainable and socially inclusive domestic resource. The EU needs a political framework that makes the best use of this important asset.”

ePURE represents the interests of European renewable ethanol producers to the EU institutions, industry stakeholders, the media, academia and the general public. Based in Brussels, ePURE speaks for 41 member companies and associations, with around 50 plants across the EU and UK, accounting for about 85% of EU renewable ethanol production. The organisation, established in 2010, promotes the beneficial uses of ethanol throughout Europe.