Fears over future of bioethanol plant 'could put jet fuel project in jeopardy'

SALTEND IS 'CRITICAL PART' OF PLANS

- By MARK PAGE

A £1.25bn green jet fuel investment hangs in the balance and could be relocated abroad if Britain's biggest bioethanol facility is to close, a company has said.

Emergency discussions are underway to save Vivergo Fuels, near Hull, in the wake of the decision to end the 19 per cent tariff on American bioethanol imports through the recent UK-US trade deal.

On Friday, Meld Energy warned that the situation threatens to derail its ambitious plans for a “world-class” sustainable aviation fuel venture on the Humber. The company struck a £1.25bn deal with Vivergo earlier this year to establish a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) plant at Saltend Chemicals Park.

Chris Smith, Meld Energy's chief executive and founder, said: “We're excited about the potential to bring our sustainable aviation fuel project to the Humber - one of the UK's most important industrial and energy hubs. But, for projects like ours to succeed and the flow of vital investment to be forthcoming, we need a strong and integrated low-carbon ecosystem.