MANNHEIM, GERMANY — CropEnergies AG shared plans to invest more than €100 million ($109.95 million USD) in various projects of its subsidiary Ensus UK Ltd. Part of the investment will be used to produce high-protein animal feed for the aquaculture and pet food markets in the United Kingdom and European Union.

Founded in Mannheim, CropEnergies is a member of the Südzucker Group, a European producer of renewable ethanol. CropEnergies specializes in sustainable, renewable products made from biomass, producing neutral alcohol and ethanol for various applications. The company’s subsidiary Ensus UK serves as a sustainable biorefinery in Wilton, Redcar, England.

Through the investment, CropEnergies will help enhance Ensus’ overall profitability at its Wilton site, as well as enable the company to reduce its carbon emissions and strengthen its position in the UK ethanol and protein markets.

Inside Ensus UK's biorefinery in Wilton.

| Source: Ensus UK Ltd

Most of the investment, about €75 million ($82.47 million USD), will be used to develop a new unit at Ensus that will produce high-protein animal feed, called EnPro, for use in aquaculture and pet nutrition. Commissioning of the project will begin in 2025.

EnPro is expected to contribute to Ensus and CropEnergies’ environmental efforts, through which the companies seek to create a more circular, sustainable economy.

“By turning feed grain into high-protein feed with a wider range of applications, we are diversifying our product range and also helping to address the UK’s protein shortage,” said Stephan Meeder, chief executive officer and chief financial officer at CropEnergies. “EnPro is a product which fits perfectly into CropEnergies’ dedication to a circular economy. We utilize all of our raw materials and refine them into products which benefit the markets in which we operate. We look forward to Ensus adding another high-quality protein feed which is unique in the UK market to the CropEnergies portfolio.”

Ensus will use the rest of the investment to improve the reliability of its facility, which includes upgrading equipment and installing a mechanical vapor recompression to further reduce its impacts on the environment.

Read more news from pet food and treat industry suppliers.