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£ 90M CASH INJECTION FOR TEESSIDE BIOREFINERY
A
chemical giant has announced that its parent company plans to invest around £ 90m in a series of major projects at its Teesside biorefinery .
The projects , revealed by Ensus UK , will see the production of a new high-protein feed at the plant .
The bulk of the investment will be the construction of a new unit , costing up to £ 70m , to produce high-protein animal feed at the Wilton International plant . Commissioning is scheduled for 2025 .
The site will enable Ensus – owned by the German biofuels manufacturer CropEnergies AG – to produce EnPro , a high-protein product aimed at UK and European aquafeed and pet food markets .
For more than a decade , as well as producing renewable ethanol as a road fuel and being the UK ’ s main supplier of biogenic CO2 , Ensus has been the UK ’ s
PD Ports has confirmed its commitment to the economic success and environmental sustainability of the River Tees with a £ 23m investment in a new , state-of-the-art dredging vessel .
The 71m-long dredger , which has already been named The Emerald Duchess after a competition among PD Ports ’ employees , is due to arrive at Teesport next summer .
The vessel has been designed and built by renowned Dutch shipbuilder Neptune to an exacting specification with the help of PD Ports ’ technical experts to ensure it can carry out its tasks to the highest environmental and safety standards .
Currently under construction at a shipyard in Poland for commissioning ahead of trials in the Netherlands in 2024 , The Emerald Duchess will replace The Cleveland County , which had served the Tees under PD Ports ’ conservancy team for 50 years .
Ensus UK chairman Grant Pearson , right , with CropEnergies AG CEO Dr Stephan Meeder .
largest producer of protein animal feed to the farming industry .
The plant currently produces 350,000 tonnes a year of protein-enriched dried distillers ’ grains with solubles ( DDGS ), primarily for UK cattle and pig farmers .
In a separate investment aimed at improving plant reliability , Ensus is planning to replace one of its feed driers at the plant and upgrade a second .
A further investment in a project to install a mechanical vapour recompression unit will also bring about significant reductions in CO2 emissions .
The total sum invested will be around £ 90m .
Ensus UK chairman Grant Pearson said : “ These major investments are a significant sign of CropEnergies ’ commitment to Ensus and the bioethanol business within the UK and Europe .”
Multi-million-pound investment in innovative Teesport vessel
A CGI image of The Emerald Duchess , which is currently being built in Poland .
The new vessel has been “ future-proofed ” with bespoke design features that will eventually allow carbon-neutral operations .
Fitted with an innovative intelligent power management system , The Emerald Duchess can swap between power from a battery pack equivalent to 10 Tesla cars and fuel made from hydrotreated vegetable oil , also known as renewable diesel .
Make the whole package pay
Jo Davies , MD of Teesside ’ s HR Alchemy , on why there ’ s so much more than salary when it comes to looking after your staff …
In data recently published by the Office for National Statistics , annual growth in pay ( excluding bonuses ) hit an incredible 7.8 per cent in April to June 2023 , the highest annual growth rate since comparable records began in 2001 .
The Institute of Directors added that wage inflation shows no sign of abating and expressed concerns that this may feed into the persistence of stubbornly high rates of inflation and high interest rates . It also highlighted that there are still more than a million unfilled positions .
However , the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has pointed out that the pay figures only result in real growth of 0.1 per cent after inflation was factored in , adding that : “ Even once pay starts to rise in real terms , it will be some time before the ground lost during the squeeze will be made up .”
It continued : “ Employers are uniquely well-placed to understand their employees ’ financial situation , and uniquely well-placed to help . To alleviate the burden , employers can make other benefits work harder .”
Finally , the Recruitment and Employment Confederation has reminded employers that pay is not the only thing employers should consider , stating : “ Today ’ s workers weigh pay against the whole package , such as flexible working , training , annual leave — and even whether the corporate culture aligns to their personal values .”
The voice of business in the Tees region | 19