Ethanol plant helps Britain get closer to its green targets

In a bid to become more environmentally friendly, England is set to have an ethanol plant begin production in the north.

The plant is already one of the biggest in Europe, and the move to England is part of the country's plan to rely more on biofuels.

Biofuels are a more natural and economically friendly way to get energy, and this fits in with England's plans to focus on the effects of various mediums on the environment and remedy the problems.

The transport sector is expected to use biofuels for about 10 per cent of their business by the year 2020.

Reasons behind this shift are that biofuels are cleaner than fossil fuels. This renders biofuels a more environmentally friendly way to get around when used in cars.

However, the use of biofuels has come under some criticism because of the cost.

Ethanol relies heavily on grain which pushes up global food prices. This could affect local businesses and shoppers.

In response to these claims, investors in the plant are adamant that prices will not be affected, nor will individuals involved in the food industry.

"Mark Carr, chief executive of AB Sugars division of ABF which is one of the backers of Vivergo, adds that almost half the wheat the plant uses will be replaced by protein-rich animal feed that is a byproduct of wheat bio ethanol plants," claims The Financial Times.

Nevertheless, this shift may put England a little closer to the environmental standards of the rest of Europe, which is currently using far more biofuels that the UK.

Even more than Europe, Brazil and the US currently use biofuels extensively.

Brazil uses 38 billion litres, while the US uses 51.7 billion litres.

Biofuel reduces the emissions of carbon monoxide by over 50 per cent, which drives down the pollution in the air.