Ensus bioethanol plant restarts in UK

The Ensus bioethanol plant in the UK has restarted production this month for a fourth time after completion of ‘essential maintenance work’.

Within a statement sent to Biofuels International, new owners CropEnergies claims: ‘Essential maintenance work taking place since July is now complete and market conditions have improved meaning the process of getting the plant up to full production can now begin’.

Germany-headquartered CropEnergies purchased Ensus over the summer and promised to inject £50 million (€59.8 million) into the facility and site in Teeside.

The plant employs 100 people and produces 400,000 litres of ethanol, 350,000 tonnes of dried high protein animal feed and 350,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide for the food and drink industry annually.

‘The plant produces bioethanol used for greener road fuel and the co-products ensure that the bioethanol produced does not compete with land for food production, while delivering a high greenhouse gas saving compared to products made from a fossil fuel,’ the statement continued.

CropEnergies produces 1.2 million cubic metres of bioethanol per year from production facilities throughout Germany, Belgium, the UK and France.