The Government has shored up the UK\u2019s critical supplies of CO2 vital for Britain\u2019s nuclear, packaged meats, fresh food and healthcare by temporarily restarting the Ensus bioethanol plant in Wilton, Teesside.<\/p>\n
\tCO2\u00a0supplies vital for critical sectors protected as government backs plant to resume production.
\n\tThree-month temporary plant restart measure provides resilience for CO2\u00a0supply essential for\u00a0healthcare, food supply, and civil nuclear.\u00a0
\n\tGovernment had safeguarded CO2 production at the plant for this situation, ensuring Britain maintains critical supply during Iran war disruption.<\/p>\n
The Government has shored up the UK\u2019s\u00a0critical\u00a0supplies of CO2\u00a0vital for Britain\u2019s\u00a0nuclear,\u00a0packaged meats, fresh food and\u00a0healthcare\u00a0by\u00a0temporarily restarting the\u00a0Ensus\u00a0bioethanol plant in Wilton, Teesside recently (26 March 2026).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Ensus\u00a0plant\u00a0will\u00a0operate\u00a0for a\u00a0three-month period, to bolster domestic CO2\u00a0production significantly, providing more resilience to essential sectors. The plant ceased production in Autumn 2025 and was set to close permanently; however, following intervention by the Government, the company agreed to keep it on standby to provide resilience for critical sectors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Disruptions to European fertiliser production \u2014 combined with difficult market conditions \u2014 have significantly reduced the reliability of CO2\u00a0imports, and rising gas prices driven by the Iran conflict,\u00a0plus unplanned maintenance at several European CO2\u00a0producing sites,\u00a0mean that the UK\u2019s market for CO2\u00a0risks being undersupplied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Given the potential impact of a shortage on essential UK sectors,\u00a0including healthcare, nuclear and food and drink production, the Government has taken\u00a0the decision to back the restart of activity at\u00a0Ensus\u00a0to safeguard critical national infrastructure and\u00a0maintain a\u00a0resilient supply of CO2.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the Government could have stepped back and let the plant close last year, we stepped in to keep it on standby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Government has been in negotiations with\u00a0Ensus\u00a0since September to\u00a0temporarily retain\u00a0the plant and its operation,\u00a0to\u00a0give\u00a0it\u00a0the optionality to restart\u00a0production\u00a0when needed. \u00a0This is the difference an active and strategic state makes.<\/p>\n
Business Secretary Peter Kyle recently\u00a0said:\u00a0<\/p>\n
As a government of\u00a0action\u00a0we will always do\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0needed to ensure resilience and protect British businesses from the worst impacts of global uncertainty.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why\u00a0we\u00a0have been in discussions with\u00a0Ensus\u00a0since September\u00a0to keep this critical plant on standby for situations like this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By restarting this plant we\u2019ve acted swiftly to boost the resilience of our supply chains and protect critical UK sectors like food production, water and healthcare, as well as the jobs and communities that depend on these industries.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This action forms part of wider government work designed to ensure the UK\u00a0maintains\u00a0access to its critical industrial inputs during global supply shocks, such as the ongoing Iran conflict.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Government will continue to\u00a0monitor\u00a0market conditions closely and will work with industry, including CO2\u00a0suppliers, to manage supply, and ensure value for money for the taxpayer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Government is also taking steps to diversify the UK\u2019s long term CO2\u00a0supply,\u00a0to\u00a0strengthen UK resilience and reduce future reliance on imports.\u00a0We will\u00a0work\u00a0with industry on our\u00a0long term plan to secure resilience in the sector.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While\u00a0previous\u00a0governments closed Britain\u2019s gas storage,\u00a0time and again\u00a0we have\u00a0stepped in to support our resilience: from keeping the blast furnaces running at Scunthorpe to saving the chemical cracker at Grangemouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Grant Pearson,\u00a0Chairman\u00a0of\u00a0Ensus, recently\u00a0said:\u00a0<\/p>\n
This agreement of support from the UK Government is excellent news for our employees and\u00a0those in our extensive supply chain. It\u00a0strengthens the broader Teesside manufacturing economy and the UK\u2019s resilience in relation to biogenic CO2\u00a0supplies, which are vital to\u00a0food and drinks companies, as well as being important to\u00a0hospitals,\u00a0abattoirs\u00a0and the nuclear industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the production plant is in operation the deal will also be\u00a0very supportive\u00a0to the UK agricultural and fuel markets including the expansion required in more sustainable aviation and maritime fuels and the future manufacture of more sustainable chemicals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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