The UK government has announced a £100m support package to allow the temporary restart of the Ensus bioethanol plant in Wilton, Yorkshire, England, in order to secure domestic carbon dioxide (CO2) supplies for critical industries.

The Ensus plant, which produces bioethanol and biogenic CO2 as a byproduct from wheat, will operate for an initial three-month period to significantly ensure domestic CO2 production for the food and drink, healthcare, nuclear power and water treatment industries.

The Department for Business and Trade said disruptions to European fertiliser production, combined with difficult market conditions, had reduced the reliability of CO2 imports into the UK.

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Rising gas prices linked to the Iran conflict and unplanned maintenance at several European CO2 production sites have further increased the risk of supply shortages in the UK.

The government said it had been in negotiations with Ensus since September to retain the plant on a standby basis, allowing production to resume if required. The financial support package will cover the cost of maintaining the plant in a ready-to-restart state and restarting operations.

Critical supply chains

Business secretary Peter Kyle said the decision would help protect critical supply chains and key industries.

He said the restart would “boost the resilience of our supply chains and protect critical UK sectors like food production, water and healthcare, as well as the jobs and communities that depend on these industries”.

Ensus UK chair Grant Pearson said the restart was positive news for employees and the wider supply chain and would strengthen both the Teesside manufacturing economy and the UK’s resilience in biogenic CO2 supplies.