Ethanol: US powers on, EU lacks drive

THE temporary closure of Europe’s largest wheat-fuelled bioethanol plant is attributed to the rising cost of grain, and slow implementation of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive.

Meanwhile, the EU imports large tonnages of biofuel, primarily from the US.

The Ensus plant on Teeside in the north of England began production last spring. It is designed to turn 1.2m tonnes of wheat a year into ethanol, but will shut for up to four months.