Saltend workers plea 'save Vivergo before it's too late'

BIOETHANOL PLANT STAFF VISIT WESTMINSTER AMID CLOSURE FEARS

- By ANDREW SPENCE

WORKERS from the UK's largest bioethanol plant have visited Westminster amidst fears the plant could close down within days without Government support.

The Vivergo Fuels plant at the Saltend Chemicals Park, near Hull, has warned that it could be forced to shut down as a result of the US-UK trade deal announced last month.

The deal includes the removal of the 19 per cent tariff on ethanol imports from the US, which Vivergo Fuels warns could lead to the collapse of the UK bioethanol industry as domestic companies may struggle to compete with cheaper imports from across the Atlantic.

As an industry leader in the production of the renewable fuel, which can be used as an alternative to the likes of petrol and diesel, Vivergo Fuels claims to support more than 4,000 jobs through its supply chain, including 160 at their Saltend plant.