Ensus bioethanol facility in Teesside taken offline again

A bioethanol plant in Teesside, UK, has been taken offline amid reports of a downturn in the market.

The Ensus facility, owned by Germany-based firm CropEnergies, uses wheat to produce bioethanol which is blended with transport fuel, dried animal feed and carbon dioxide for the drinks industry. The £250 million (€336.4 million) plant employs around 100 people and is one of the largest in Europe.

CropEnergies has declined to comment on the reason for the shutdown, which is the plant's fourth since beginning operations in 2010. Odour problems and the resulting resident complaints forced the facility to close in 2010 and again in 2011, a shutdown that went on for 15 months.

The plant was closed again, for six months, in 2013 due to 'adverse market conditions'. This is thought to be the reason for the most recent shutdown, following a financial report by the company which declared that the European bioethanol industry is suffering due to a sharp drop in prices and 'the sluggish implementation of political objectives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lowering oil consumption in the European transport sector'.