Member Article

£350 million biorefinery injects £1 million a month into East Yorkshire agriculture

East Yorkshire biorefinery, Vivergo, is reportedly boosting wheat farms in the region to the value of £1 million per month, on the back of an improved UK wheat harvest.

Vivergo, one of Europe’s largest producers of bioethanol and protein rich animal feed, has supported local farmers and creating agricultural jobs in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire since opening its £350 million plant in Saltend last year.

Previously, much of the feed grade wheat grown in the region has been exported into mainland Europe to feed animals and for use in European biofuel production.

Now, with a wheat harvest back to pre-2012 levels, the region’s farmers are expected to benefit by approximately £1 million every month, as opposed to the export value previously achieved, as Vivergo ramps up its operations with a view to running at full production capacity later this year.

The company uses 1.1m tonnes of animal feed grade wheat per year, which is commonly used for animal consumption, to make renewable transport fuel and protein rich animal feed for UK livestock.

Rick Taylor, commercial director at Vivergo, said: “The UK has historically had a wheat surplus, exporting between 2.5 and 3m tonnes a year.

“As the UK’s biggest wheat buyer, we offer a 365 day demand for local arable farmers, providing a new sales channel, often giving more competitive rates for their feed-wheat as opposed to the previous export of this commodity.

“Not only are we supporting local farmers, but we’re also bolstering the UK economy by creating around 2,400 jobs so far, with this figure set to increase to around 3,800 once the plant is at full production later this year. Many of those jobs will be in the agricultural sector.”

Wheat farmer John Holtby, who runs Dowthorpe Hall Farm, at Skirlaugh, just a few miles from the Vivergo biorefinery, said: “With on farm and UK wheat production returning to normal levels, to have a local home for our feed wheat is invaluable.”

As well as producing 420m litres of bioethanol per year – enough to meet around half of the UK’s current demand, the Vivergo plant will also produce up to 500,000 tonnes of animal feed once fully operational, providing the protein requirement for approaching 20% of the UK’s dairy cows.

Currently, up to 5% of bioethanol is blended with regular petrol at the pump. By 2020, the UK must ensure that 10% of our transport fuel is sourced from renewable sources

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .