British Sugar Biofuel Plant, Wissington, Norfolk, United Kingdom

As part of the search for cleaner fuels to run motor transport in the UK (this is part of the UK Government's renewable transport fuels obligation) there has been an increase in the number of small to medium biofuel plants under construction. One of these was set to be the UK's first bioethanol plant at the British Sugar (BS) site at Wissington, near Downham Market in Norfolk.

British Sugar, along with several partners including BP and Dupont, have invested £20m into the project with finance from the European Investment Bank (which is providing £120m in total for Wissington and Saltend projects).

The plant broke ground in January 2006 and was completed and in pre-production by July 2007. A new fuel containing up to 10% biobutanol is due to be available from BP in 2007. Currently biofuels account for less than 2% of global use.

CHANGE OF MIND

In June 2006, only six months into the project, the Wissington plant was converted mid-way through construction to give it the ability to producing the more advanced biofuel, biobutanol. The change was in part due to another larger plant under development at Saltend in Hull (Wissington is being used to develop biobutanol production technology).

British Sugar made it clear that biobutanol production at the Wissington plant will still use the same locally grown sugar beet feedstock as was originally planned for bioethanol production, and that it will be honouring all of the existing supplier contracts to surrounding beet producers.

The biobutanol plant was developed and constructed in a new joint alliance between BP and Dupont licensing process technology from Praj Industries of India (using DuPont's bio-based science and BP's fuel technology). The process can also be adapted to use other feedstocks such as wheat starch if required.

Tony Sidwell, the British Sugar new opportunities manager, said: "the new partnership is overcoming what has been, to date, the biggest brake on development of the biofuel industry in the UK – a lack of engagement from the bigger oil companies."

THE RENEWABLE TRANSPORT FUEL OBLIGATION (RTFO)

The RTFO programme will, from April 2008, place an obligation on fuel suppliers to ensure that a certain percentage of their aggregate sales are made up of biofuels.

The effect will be that 5% of all UK fuel sold from UK service stations must come from a renewable / sustainable source by 2010.

The saving in carbon dioxide production can be up to 50% and this is effectively recycled into the carbon cycle as the producing crop grows again.

DESIGN AND FEEDSTOCK

The plant will use the feedstock which is plentiful in Norfolk, sugar beet, and the capacity of the plant will be 70 million litres (55,000t) of biobutanol a year.

British Sugar and the National Farmers' Union have made an agreement on the contractual arrangements for the supply of the sugar beet needed to supply this plant. The plant is designed to utilise sugar beet that would previously have been used to produce non-quota or 'C' sugar for export onto the world market.

CONTRACTORS

CEL (formerly Courtaulds Engineering) worked with British Sugar in the design and construction of the Wissington biofuel plant. Cowan and Linn, a Scottish Building and Civil Engineering consultancy were also contracted by British Sugar to take part in the construction of the new plant. Nuttall John Martin of East Anglia was awarded the main contract to construct the biofuel production and storage / outloading facilities along with the plant and associated works.

The cost of the civil construction package was £3.5m with a construction period of 43 weeks. The new plant consists of an open steelwork structure with mesh / solid floor supported on piled reinforced concrete raft, associated tank and fan foundations. Main areas of works included:

• Demolition of existing piles and excavation
• Construction of four main piled foundations
• Plinths and drainage channels
• Flooring for the storage tanks
• Construction of three-storey steel-framed building
• Access road, landscaping and related services

King's Lynn Borough Council granted planning permission for the new biofuel plant in December 2005. Praj Industries, an Indian-based company specialising in the processes that convert sugar into biofuels, was also involved in the construction of the new plant.

The CEL operations director, Gareth Davies, said: "This is the beginning of an exciting new industry and approval of this project marks a great achievement for British Sugar.

CEL has supported the development of this project for three years and is delighted to be able to bring its award-winning project staff and processes together to create the integrated team which is so important for a challenging project such as this."