CropEnergies AG, the Germany-based renewable ethanol producer, has welcomed a GBP 100 million (approximately EUR 115 million) funding commitment from the United Kingdom government to keep its British subsidiary's mothballed biorefinery on standby and ready to restart, Ethanol Producer Magazine reported on April 29.

The beneficiary of the package is Ensus UK Ltd, a CropEnergies subsidiary based at Wilton, Teesside, in north-east England. The plant, which suspended operations in September 2025 due to economic pressures, is the last remaining major industrial biorefinery in the United Kingdom. The UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) agreed the support package, which is aimed at maintaining a secure domestic supply of biogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂), renewable ethanol for fuel blending, and protein-rich animal feed.

Ensus produces up to 400 million litres of bioethanol annually from more than one million tonnes of animal feed-grade wheat, and has a CO₂ capture capacity of 250,000 tonnes per year. The CO₂ produced at the facility is critical to multiple sectors, including food and beverages, healthcare, the nuclear industry, and various industrial applications. The UK’s dependence on CO₂ imports has grown since disruptions to European fertiliser production, which is a primary source of industrial CO₂, and concerns were further heightened by supply chain pressures stemming from the Middle East conflict.

The closure of Associated British Foods’ Vivergo plant in Hull in August 2025 left Ensus as the sole large-scale domestic CO₂ producer. The UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal, which removed a 19 per cent import tariff on American ethanol and permitted duty-free imports of up to 1.4 million cubic metres per year, had significantly undermined the economics of domestic bioethanol production and contributed to both closures.

With the funding in place, CropEnergies said Ensus aims to resume full operations as soon as possible. Grant Pearson, chairman of Ensus UK, said the government agreement was excellent news for employees and the wider supply chain, adding that the support strengthened both the Teesside manufacturing economy and the country’s resilience in biogenic CO₂ supply.

The UK government is also examining regulatory changes intended to improve the long-term viability of the domestic renewable ethanol sector. These include a nationwide rollout of E15 petrol blends and the possible approval of agricultural biomass as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).