14 December 2004

Planning sought for green fuel factory

A planning application has been made today to King's Lynn Borough Council for the construction of a bioethanol production facility at British Sugar's Wissington site near Downham Market, Norfolk.

The UK Government has acknowledged that biofuels can offer significant environmental benefits and are a cost effective option for reducing emissions from road transport. In the recent Pre Budget Report the Government confirmed that it will now undertake a consultative study on the introduction of a Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.

Commenting on the submission, British Sugar's Head of Development, Trevor Smith said, "This application represents a significant step in the feasibility planning of this project. A final decision on a major project such as this depends on the outcome of our current approval applications and commercial negotiations. However, government support for an obligation remains a requirement for a large scale industry to be developed in the UK."

British Sugar has been examining the opportunities that the bioethanol markets - fuel, industrial and potable - in Europe and the UK can provide. The company's plans propose an annual production capacity of 55,000 tonnes of bioethanol. The company has indicated that this production will come from sugar, although it is likely that future UK developments would utilise cereal feedstock.

Editor's notes:

The use of bioethanol instead of fossil derived petrol saves up to 70% of carbon emissions and is energy positive. It can be readily blended with petrol with no modification to existing engine design, allowing everyone to contribute to a clean air policy.

Based on the EU Biofuels Directive target of 5.75% inclusion of biofuels by the end of 2010, around 1 million tonnes of bioethanol would be needed to supply the UK market alone. A plant of the size proposed therefore represents about only 5% of the UK's bioethanol needs.

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