Refinerywarmsup for start
STAFF working to bring the world’s largest wheat biorefinery online at Wilton have had work interrupted by Britain’s arctic weather.
The last few weeks of heavy snow and ice has put back the commissioning of the £300m Ensus bioethanol plant - but CEO Alwyn Hughes said the finishing line was in sight.
“This has been the worst winter for 30 years,” said Mr Hughes.
“We could hardly have imagined a worse set of conditions for bringing a plant like Ensus online, but we’ve rolled up our sleeves and just got on with it.
“The last six to eight weeks have been horrendous.
“If the plant is covered in ice, that means staff can’t go up scaffolding. If we draw a line down, the pump can freeze up.
“But we have a fantastic safety record onsite, which is very important and we value it enormously. Staff have been trying their best - we’re very proud of how the team is working so hard to make it happen.”
Teesside’s reprieve from the icy weather is set to continue. Wilton can expect some light snow tonight, according to the BBC, but the lowest temperatures will climb well above freezing towards the end of the week.
“The weather is clearly improving, which is encouraging,” said Mr Hughes.
“We are very close to the finishing line - the silos are full of wheat, and the plant will become fully operational over quarter one.”
