Building begins on bioethanol plant
British Sugar has announced the start of building work on the UK’s first bioethanol production facility. Bioethanol is a biofuel that can be mixed with petrol to help reduce carbon emissions.
The new plant, at Wissington, near Downham Market in Norfolk, is expected to begin production in early 2007 and should be able to use beet from the 2006/07 harvest.
John Smith of British Sugar, says,“It will utilise sugar beet that would previously have been used for non-quota or ‘C’ sugar for export. Under a recent World Trade Organisation ruling, such exports are no longer permitted, giving rise to concerns amongst growers about the viability of continuing to produce this additional sugar beet.
It is hoped that the new plant will utilise all of the UK’s previously exported sugar beet and produce 70 million litres (55,000 tonnes) of bioethanol each year, equivalent to 650,000 tonnes of sugar beet.
