What Alco Energy Rotterdam does

Alco Energy Rotterdam B.V. operates the largest bioethanol plant in Europe from a single integrated biorefinery site in Europoort-Rotterdam, Netherlands. Founded in 2010 as a joint venture between Belgian ethanol group Alcogroup and Belgian grain trader Vanden Avenne Commodities, the facility employs approximately 120 people and converts imported corn (biomass) via fermentation, distillation, and dehydration into bioethanol, protein-rich animal feed (branded DDGS Proticorn), biogenic CO2, and surplus electricity. Bioethanol is sold primarily to petrol blenders for E5 and E10 blending; DDGS Proticorn is supplied as flour or pellets to the European animal feed industry (dairy/beef cattle, pigs, poultry) as a non-GMO alternative to imported soy; green CO2 is captured on-site via Linde/OCAP infrastructure and delivered through a dedicated pipeline to greenhouse operators in Westland and Haarlemmermeer; and excess electricity from a high-efficiency cogeneration unit (30% more efficient than separate electricity/steam production) is fed into the public grid, equivalent to the consumption of about 75,000 households.

The company runs a sales-led B2B go-to-market with no direct consumer channel, selling into four distinct industrial verticals: fuel/transportation, animal feed, horticulture, and electricity. Revenue streams are diversified across these four product lines, though within each vertical customer identities are not publicly disclosed. Ethanol production capacity is approximately 650 million litres per year, animal feed output around 450,000 tons, and CO2 processing up to 400,000 tonnes. The facility holds ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) and GMP+ certifications, and operates under BRZO 2015 (Seveso III) and WABO environmental permits; the company reports CO2 savings of more than 90% versus gasoline, against an EU average of 73%.

Strategically, Alco Energy Rotterdam is positioned as part of Alcogroup's broader ethanol platform, which includes sister plant Alco BioFuel in Ghent and the announced acquisition of IGPC in Aylmer, Ontario (Canada's second-largest ethanol producer). A planned corn oil co-product and a 2030 climate-neutrality target, supported by a Joint Letter of Intent with the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth, indicate incremental expansion within the existing biorefinery model rather than a strategic pivot. No revenue, pricing, or AI/ML capabilities are publicly disclosed; the company's competitive position rests on European scale, full-kernel utilization economics, regulatory certifications, and locked-in CO2 pipeline distribution.

Name

Alco Energy Rotterdam

Legal name

Alco Energy Rotterdam B.V.

Website

https://alcoenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Alco Energy Rotterdam operates Europe's largest bioethanol biorefinery in Europoort-Rotterdam, producing 650M litres of bioethanol, 450K tons of DDGS Proticorn animal feed, 400K tonnes of green CO2, and surplus electricity for ~75,000 households, sold B2B to fuel blenders, livestock farms, Westland greenhouses, and the public grid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bioethanol Biorefinery

NAICS

Wet Corn Milling and Starch Manufacturing (311221), Ethyl Alcohol Manufacturing (325193)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Grain & Sugar-Based Ethanol Production (EUAAAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bio-based Animal Feed Ingredients & Nutrition Co-products (e.g., DDGS, protein meals, yeast) (EUAAAIAI)

Keywords

• Bioethanol production
• Biorefinery operations
• Animal feed manufacturing
• Green CO2 supply
• Renewable fuel blending

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Bio-ethanol sales: Produces approximately 650 million litres of bio-ethanol annually. Bio-ethanol is mainly used to mix with petrol (E5 up to 5%, E10 up to 10%). Sold to fuel sector. Some ethanol also sold for hand sanitiser gels since COVID-19.
2. Animal feed (DDGS Proticorn): Produces approximately 450,000 tons of protein-rich animal feed annually. Sold in flour or pellet form to the animal feed industry for dairy and beef cattle, pigs and poultry.
3. Green CO2: Produces up to 400,000 tonnes of green CO2 annually. CO2 is captured during fermentation and sold via pipeline to Westland horticultural sector for greenhouse use.
4. Electricity: Co-generation unit produces electricity. About half of excess electricity production goes to public electricity grid - enough to supply approximately 75,000 households.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Alco Energy Rotterdam operates Europe's largest bioethanol biorefinery in Europoort-Rotterdam, converting corn biomass into bioethanol (~650 million liters annually), protein-rich animal feed branded DDGS Proticorn (~450,000 tons annually), green CO2 captured during fermentation (~400,000 tonnes annually), and surplus electricity from co-generation. Products are sold B2B to fuel blenders, the animal feed industry, the Westland horticultural sector, and the public electricity grid.

Product overview

Alco Energy Rotterdam operates a single integrated biorefinery facility that converts corn (biomass/grain) into multiple co-products: bio-ethanol, protein-rich animal feed (DDGS Proticorn), and green CO2. Electricity is co-generated from the process. The company is the largest bioethanol plant in Europe with annual production of approximately 650 million liters of ethanol, 450,000 tons of animal feed, and 400,000 tonnes of green CO2. Corn oil is planned as a future product. The facility uses a highly efficient process converting starch to ethanol via fermentation (50-60 hours at 30-32°C), followed by distillation and dehydration to produce anhydrous alcohol (98.8% strength). The refinery is a circular process where no part of the corn kernel is wasted.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DDGS Proticorn: Protein-rich animal feed product (Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles) sold to the animal feed industry for dairy and beef cattle, pigs, and poultry.

Products and services

• Bio-Ethanol Bioethanol (ethyl alcohol) produced from corn starch via fermentation, distillation, and dehydration at the Europoort-Rotterdam biorefinery. Used primarily as a renewable fuel additive blended with petrol at E5 (up to 5%) and E10 (up to 10%) levels, and also used in chemical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications. Sold B2B to petrol blenders and fuel distributors. Annual capacity approximately 650 million liters.
• Animal Feed (DDGS Proticorn) Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS) marketed under the brand name Proticorn. Protein-rich animal feed containing approximately three times the protein content of processed grain, supplemented with valuable yeast protein. Sold as flour or pellets to dairy and beef cattle, pig, and poultry industries across Europe. Annual production approximately 450,000 tons.
• Green CO2 Biogenic CO2 captured during the fermentation process through Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) technology. Purified and compressed by Linde and OCAP, then delivered via pipeline to the Westland horticultural sector for greenhouse cultivation of tomatoes, peppers, and other crops. Annual processing capacity up to 400,000 tonnes.
• Electricity Electricity produced via the on-site cogeneration (combined heat and power) unit, which is 30% more efficient than separate electricity and steam production. Steam output is matched to refinery needs; approximately half of excess electricity is supplied to the public electricity grid, enough to power around 75,000 households.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90%+ CO2 reduction compared to gasoline emissions
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IGPC (Aylmer, Ontario, Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2024Alcogroup announced acquisition of IGPC, the second-largest Canadian ethanol producer. Acquisition will consolidate Alco's ambition to be a global player in the ethanol sector.
• LindecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2016Linde owns and manages the CO2 purification and compression installation on the AER site. Operational since summer 2016, processing up to 400,000 tonnes of green CO2 annually.
• OCAPcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2016OCAP operates the CO2 pipeline distribution to the Westland horticultural sector. Manages the green CO2 delivery infrastructure from Alco Energy Rotterdam.
• Alco BioFuel (Ghent)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company in Ghent, Belgium. Alco Energy Rotterdam works in close cooperation with Alco BioFuel building a climate-neutral future together. Part of the same Alcogroup.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tereos: French cooperative with significant European ethanol and starch production from cereals and sugar beets, including co-products like DDGS and CO2, serving fuel and feed markets across Europe.
• CropEnergies AG: German grain-based bioethanol producer with comparable capacity, producing fuel ethanol, DDGS animal feed, and biogenic CO2 from wheat and corn at multiple European plants. Closest European benchmark to AER.
• POET LLC: Largest US corn ethanol producer with comparable biorefinery model producing bioethanol, DDGS, corn oil, and captured CO2 from corn feedstock at industrial scale. Strong operational and product-mix benchmark.
• Green Plains Inc. US corn ethanol producer operating biorefineries that yield ethanol, DDGS, corn oil, and increasingly renewable proteins, mirroring AER's integrated multi-product model.
• VERBIO AG: German biofuel producer manufacturing bioethanol, biodiesel, and biomethane from grain and rapeseed, with DDGS-type feed co-products, competing directly with AER in EU fuel and feed markets.

Broad incumbents

• Südzucker AG: Large European sugar and starch producer with growing bioethanol and DDGS output via its CropEnergies subsidiary, serving as a broader sugar-and-ethanol incumbent in the same European value chain.
• Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): Global grain processor with substantial corn-based ethanol production and DDGS output, providing a benchmark for integrated commodity trading, ethanol, and animal feed economics.
• Cargill, Incorporated: Global agribusiness with significant European grain origination, ethanol trading, and animal nutrition operations, providing indirect competitive overlap in feedstock sourcing and feed markets.
• INEOS Bio: Chemical group with bioethanol and bio-based chemicals interests, including advanced cellulosic ethanol projects that represent an adjacent technology and competitor pathway.

Others

• Alco Bio Fuel (Ghent): Sister plant under Alcogroup SA in Belgium, operating a similar corn-to-ethanol biorefinery producing ethanol and DDGS. Related-party entity rather than an independent competitor, but uses the same technology stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alco Energy Rotterdam