Bioethanol plant delayed by two months

Construction of the Vivergo bioethanol plant near Hull has been delayed by two months due to last month’s bad weather.

A statement from Associated British Foods, the parent company of one of the companies involved in the joint venture – British Sugar – said production was now likely to start at the beginning of the new financial year.

Once fully operational the plant will produce 420m litres of bioethanol and 500,000 tonnes of high-protein animal feed per year, using over 1m tonnes of wheat as the feedstock.

Other key points from the ABF interim management statement for the 16 weeks to 8 January 2011:

• Group revenue up 10% (7% at constant exchange rates)

• Trading performance for the period in line with expectations

• Sugar revenues 7% ahead of last year, with higher sugar prices in all regions

• Agriculture revenue 14% up on last year – particularly strong sales of sugar beet feed by KW Trident and Premier Nutrition’s starter feed and pre-mixes