The EU has committed to sourcing 10% of its transport fuel from renewable energy, including biofuels, by 2020. As part of our contribution to achieving this goal, in November 2007 we opened our first bioethanol plant at British Sugar’s factory in Wissington, Norfolk. This plant has the capacity to produce 55,000 tonnes (70 million litres) of bioethanol per year from sugar beet, which represents 2.5% of the UK’s 2020 goal.
Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere when they grow, so biofuels which are made from them contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This also reduces our use of, and dependence on, fossil fuel reserves, and helps to improve fuel security. Bioethanol from UK sugar beet is a model example of a ‘good’ biofuel which alleviates climate change, is environmentally sustainable and contributes to national fuel security. The use of our bioethanol results in an emissions saving in excess of 71% relative to petrol when measured on a full life-cycle basis. This includes all direct emissions associated with growing, producing, distributing and using the fuels. Research released by the UK’s Renewable Fuels Agency in 2009 showed that emissions savings from bioethanol produced from UK sugar beet are significantly higher than those from biofuels made using palm, soy or rapeseed oil.
One of the reasons for this performance is that our Wissington bioethanol plant is supplied by a gas-fired combined heat and power unit, which delivers 80% energy efficiency (compared to around 40% efficiency for coal-fired power stations). Energy consumption at the plant has been progressively reduced over the years, falling by a further 6% last year. The factory is one of the most efficient sugar manufacturers in the EU.
Carbon savings are also made because the sugar beet is sourced locally, with an average transport distance of only 45km. Sugar processed at Wissington is sourced entirely from established UK arable farms and is not associated with land use change or deforestation. A combination of increased yields (50% improvement since 1987) and rationalisation of the industry driven by reform of the EU sugar regime, has caused a substantial net reduction in the area used to grow sugar beet in the UK of 65,000 hectares (40% less than ten years ago). This land area ‘released’ is over six times the area needed to produce the bioethanol. Accordingly, there is no evidence that Wissington bioethanol has any adverse effect on food production or prices.
Our sugar beet meets the standards of the Assured Combined Crops and Sugar Beet Scheme. As a ‘breakcrop’ in the arable rotation it enhances soil fertility, reduces fertiliser and pesticide inputs and enhances biodiversity in following cereal crops. Nitrogen fertiliser use has been reduced by 40% and pesticides by over 60% since 1980. The RSPB and Natural England have recognised sugar beet as being of considerable value for biodiversity and birdlife.
The use of irrigation is minimal as over 95% of the UK crop is rain-fed. As water is a by-product of beet processing, the Wissington biorefinery produces almost three times as much water as it consumes.
In collaboration with BP and DuPont, we are building a larger bioethanol plant which will use wheat as a feedstock. This plant will have an output of 330,000 tonnes per year of bioethanol – equivalent to one sixth of the UK’s requirements under the Renewable Energy Directive by 2020. It will also produce 500,000 tonnes a year of protein-rich animal feed, which can replace imported soy meal.