Punj to set up largest bio-ethanol plant in UK

New Delhi, Mar 16 (UNI) Punj Lloyd Ltd (PLL), through its subsidiary Simon Carves Ltd, has bagged an order from The Ensus Group to design and construct the world's largest wheat-based bio-ethanol production facility in the UK.

The full production from the plant is likely to commence in early 2009, with the construction work starting in the second quarter of this year.

The facility will be built at the Wilton International site in Teesside, an integrated petrochemical complex in the North East of England.

''With blending of bio-ethanol in retail petroleum products becoming mandatory, many more bio-ethanol fuel production plants will be setup in Europe and in many parts of South Asia specially India. Simon Carves' successful track record and reputation in engineering, procurement and construction of bio-ethanol production plants worldwide will help Punj Lloyd Group in gaining many such contracts in these regions,'' PLL Chairman Atul Punj said.

Ensus Ltd is owned by the global private equity firm 'The Carlyle Group' and energy focused 'Riverstone Holdings'.

''The investment will be the first of a series of world scale facilities planned for construction by Ensus throughout Europe,'' the company said.

The production of bio-ethanol from the plant will contribute significantly to the EU's strategy to scale-back dependency on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The EU Council of Ministers recently endorsed a 10 per cent binding minimum target to be achieved by all member states for the share of bio-fuels in overall EU transport fuels by 2020.

The project will employ nearly 800 people during the construction phase and about 100 people once the plant is fully operational.

The facility is expceted to substantially underpin UK's entire target of bio-fuels, once the plant is fully operational.

Simon Carves has recently signed a Letter of Intent to build a 300 ktpa LDPE plant in Saudi Arabia.

UNI