CropEnergies bioethanol UK plant ready to operate

Germany-headquarted bioethanol producer CropEnergies has announced that it is ready to operate its bioethanol plant in Wilton, UK, at full capacity.

The facility named Ensus, based in the north east of England, has been mothballed since February 2015. Work was halted after bioethanol prices dropped amid sluggish European markets and low oil prices.

However, after carrying out a number of successful trial runs over the summer to improve reliability, the company said that the plant can play a pivotal role in future operations.

Ensus uses wheat to create bioethanol, which is added to petrol, with the remaining protein and grain used to make animal feed and carbon dioxide for the soft drink and food markets every year.

The announcement came in the firm’s second quarter (Q2) results.

The firm said operating result was €22 million for Q2 2016/17 compared to €26m the same period last year. However, the company said that operating results for Q2 2016/17 exceeded the Q1 2016/17 results by €2m.

Revenues in Q2 2016/17 were €182 million, compared to €193m the same period last year.

Against the background of successful trials at its Ensus plant, the company said it forecasts revenues of between €670m and €720m for the end of the 2016/17 financial year. Its previous forecast was between €640m and €700m.

This story was written by Liz Gyekye, editor of Biofuels International.