Karl Turner has called for urgent Government action to save the UK’s bioethanol industry as a Saltend plant faces closure.
The Labour MP for Hull East has warned of potential job losses in a strongly worded op-ed in which he called on his own party’s Government to “urgently intervene” to prevent “mass redundancies in an already deprived area.”
Vivergo Fuels, the UK’s largest producer of bioethanol, has warned of the potentially devastating consequences of the US-UK trade deal announced in May. The deal included the removal of the 19 per cent tariff on ethanol imports from the US. The company has warned that this will make it, and other domestic firms including Ensus in the Tees Valley, unable to compete with the cheaper American imports and could lead to their closure.
Mr Turner said: “To lose our bioethanol market would seriously hamper the UK’s ability to reach net zero — and devastate communities like Hull in the process.”
The MP praised the broader success of the US-UK trade agreement but urged swift action, saying: “The Government is making remarkable efforts to build a country that is both energy secure and green. To do this, we need to retain and improve our domestic energy producers, and companies like Vivergo and Ensus are at the forefront of this.”
(Image: Karl Turner / Labour Party)
Mr Turner is calling on ministers to provide immediate financial support to prevent closures and mass redundancies and to reform the regulatory framework to ensure the long-term viability of the domestic bioethanol sector.
Over recent weeks, Vivergo Fuels’ campaign to secure Government action has been championed by local politicians from across the political spectrum. Regional figures from the Labour Party, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK have all called on the Government to act before the firm runs out of time.
In response, a Government spokesperson said: “We are working closely across Government and the bioethanol industry to find a way forward after the Business and Transport Secretaries met with representatives from the sector earlier this month to discuss their concerns.”
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