Praj commissions British Sugar Bioethanol plant

Praj Industries, global biofuels technology company recently commissioned United Kingdom’s first Bioethanol plant for British Sugar at Wissington, Norfolk.  The plant will produce 70 mln litres fuel grade ethanol from beet sugar syrup. 

We are very pleased to work with British Sugar.  Not only is it their first ethanol plant, but it is also UK’s very first ethanol plant,” said Shashank Inamdar, CEO & MD, Praj Industries.

British Sugar, the leading supplier of sugars to U.K., is part of the £6.0 bln Associated British Foods (ABF).  ABF recently entered into an agreement with BP and DuPont on an investment to build a world-scale wheat based biofuel plant in UK. ABF will hold 45% of the JV.  Praj Technology has been selected for the Project while its JV partner Aker Kvaerner is currently carrying out Frond End Engineering & Design (FEED) assignment for this project.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) is due to become the UK's primary mechanism to develop a market for transport biofuels as well as delivering the objectives of the Biofuel Directive. The RTFO will require road transport fuel suppliers to ensure that a proportion of the road fuel they supply in the UK comes from renewable sources.  The UK Government is due to introduce the RTFO in April 2008 which will also require suppliers to report against environmental and sustainability measures such as ‘reduction in emissions of GHG, e.g. carbon’.

“British Sugar selected Praj based on their cost competitiveness, expertise in sugar ethanol plants and progressive approach to R&D. Praj have delivered to the design standards required for UK manufacturing”, said Karl Carter, Group Development Director – British Sugar.

Sourced From: Genesis Burson-Marsteller