Friday, August 10, 2012

Euro-nuts: Making Ethanol From Wheat Still Stupid

Back in 2007 we posted "Making Ethanol from Wheat is Stupid".
Carlyle and BP and the rest of the backers got the ENSUS plant up and running but in 2011 as BusinessGreen reported "Ensus plant on hiatus as biofuels bubble bursts".
Here's the latest, from Agrimoney:
Increasing possibility' of Ensus plant reopening
The boost to US ethanol prices from drought has prompted an "increasing possibility" of Europe's top bioethanol plant reopening, despite soaring costs of its feedstock, wheat, too, a leading analysis group said.
The UK's Ensus wheat ethanol plant "could come back online" thanks to the improved economics for European Union manufacturers of the biofuel, thanks to the dent to competition from US exports rendered by changes in market pricing and import specifications, Czarnikow said.

The EU has now closed the loophole which allowed ethanol exporters to cut import duties by some two-thirds by mixing the biofuel with gasoline, so allowing it to be classed as a chemical product.

Ensus bosses cited competition with foreign supplies, which were backed from the US by blending perks too until the end of December, as a major reason behind their decision in May last year to mothball the plant....MORE