Abengoa bio-ethanol facility construction commences

This facility can process 1.25 million tonnes of cereals, and is capable of producing 480 million litres of bio-ethanol per year to be blended into petrol. The plant also produces 370,000 tons of distiller’s grains to be distributed to the compound industry and cattle farms. This feed product has a high energy value and replaces imports from soy meal. The CO2 that will be produced during the bio-ethanol production process, will be captured, compressed and transported via the OCAP pipeline to the greenhouses in Westland. Greenhouses will use this CO2 for the growth process of plants and vegetables. It substitutes fossil CO2 they presently produce from consuming natural gas. So the production facility will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in both the transport and horticultural sectors. This Rotterdam facility that will be operational by the end of 2009 will create 75 direct jobs and more than 4000 thousand indirectly. This facility will clearly surpass the European Commission’s proposed minimum greenhouse gas reduction requirement for bio-fuels of 35% compared to petrol, based on the default values assigned by the European Commission, the improved technology to be used, the CO2 capturing and the good logistical position will realise around 60% GHG reduction. Abengoa Bioenergy is Europe’s leading producer of bio-ethanol, and one of the five biggest in the USA. Globally, Abengoa Bioenergy produces over 1800 million litres per year.