Teesside bioethanol plant shuts down

Low bioethanol prices and a strong sterling have forced the closure of the Ensus bioethanol plant on Teesside.

The shutdown is temporary, says owner CropEnergies, which is allowing a one-off cost of up to €40m (£29m) to cover the mothballing.

Bioethanol prices reached an all-time low in mid-January, while the long process of increasing the percentage of renewable energy in the EU transport sector did not help, said the company.

CropEnergies’ other plants in Germany, Belgium and France are running at high capacity despite the difficult market conditions. The possibility of recommissioning the UK plant would be continuously reviewed, said the company.