Pacemaker in a European bioethanol network

CropEnergies is expecting strong growth in demand for bioethanol in Europe, following introduction and realisation of measures by the EU member states to achieve the biofuel targets laid down by the EU. We are well-prepared for this development; our production capacity is at this moment being trebled. 

We select our locations with great care. Apart from a reliable supply of raw materials, it is important for us that there is a good logistical infrastructure, to provide us with the basis for an efficient distribution service for supplying the European markets. Each plant is specially designed to make the best use of the features of its location.

The Zeitz plant is currently being extended in two stages from its present capacity of 260,000 m³ of bioethanol annually, for which some 700,000 t of cereals are processed, to 360,000 m³ per year. The existing cereal plant is being expanded to permit an additional 40,000 m³ of bioethanol  to be produced per year. In addition, a further plant with a capacity of 60,000 m³ per year is being built. This plant will be operated in conjunction with the existing plant and will exclusively use  sugar syrup from sugar beet as its raw material. The full capacity will be available from June 2008 onward.

The energy efficiency of the production process in Zeitz is above all characterised by the multiple use of energy in successive stages of the process. An energy centre is part of the Zeitz plant, and not only covers the plant's own energy requirement but, through a highly-advanced cogeneration achieves a very high energy yield and also feeds electricity into the national grid.

The Zeitz location is in the middle of one of Germany's largest wheat-growing regions and is also in the immediate vicinity of one of the sugar factories operated by Südzucker AG. So it is exactly in the place where the raw materials required for production are to be obtained. The plant is also very well connected to the railway and the road networks: in Zeitz, an annual transport figure of about 1.5 million tonnes is loaded in and out by road and rail in raw materials and finished products. In order to ensure an even spread of road transport vehicles through the day, we have developed our own Internet-bases tool with which carriers can reserve their time-slots. In this way, road traffic around the plant is hardly affected, and both, customers and suppliers benefit from reduced waiting times, and can plan their return loads in advance.

In Wanze, Belgium, a next generation bioethanol plant is currently under construction, which will have an annual production capacity of up to 300,000 m³ of bioethanol. The production process used represents a further advance in bioethanol production in Europe. Through the use of biomass as primary energy, the plant will be doing full justice to the subject of sustainability of biofuels in a very special way, as thanks to the innovative plant concept even more greenhouse gases will be saved in the production of bioethanol. In a biomass power station which is unique in Europe, the bran of the wheat processed will be used to generate a large proportion of the thermal and electrical energy required in the production process in a climate-friendly manner. 
Apart from wheat, sugar syrup can also be processed in Wanze. This will come from the sugar factory which is practically next door.

The Wanze plant has direct access to the Maas waterway, and thus an outstandingly good connection to the freight hub Antwerp - Rotterdam - Amsterdam and thus the international markets. Most dispatches and deliveries will be by waterway. 

In 2006, the CropEnergies Group acquired a tank-farm and logistics facilities in the port of Dunkirk, France. This also includes a 2.4 km-long pipeline, through which ethanol can both be received and delivered. There is thus a direct connection with one of the most heavily-trafficked sea routes in the world, between Le Havre and Rotterdam - best conditions for the development of a hub for ethanol distribution.

The Südzucker Group has a subsidiary in Dunkirk which cleans and purifies raw alcohol. In 2008 it is planned to integrate this company into the CropEnergies Group and to extend the range of products with further applications in the traditional and technical sectors.