Ensus

What Ensus does

Ensus UK Limited is a sustainable biorefinery operator based at the Wilton Site on Teesside, UK, producing three saleable co-products from feed wheat: bioethanol for transport fuels (including E10 blends), biogenic CO2 captured during fermentation for food, beverage, medical, and industrial customers, and approximately 350,000 tonnes per year of high-protein DDGS animal feed. The company processes over one million tonnes of feed wheat annually and employs 101–250 staff directly, while supporting an estimated 3,000 jobs across its northern England supply chain.

The business operates on a B2B industrial model, selling directly to food and drinks producers, meat processors, healthcare facilities, nuclear operators, cold storage providers, livestock farmers, and fuel blenders. Its ISCC-certified production process enables market access under EU and UK biofuel sustainability frameworks, and its parent company is Südzucker Group, with operations housed under the CropEnergies segment. The company does not publicly disclose pricing or revenue.

The Wilton plant was mothballed in September 2025 after a UK-US trade deal removed tariffs on US bioethanol imports, rendering domestic production uncompetitive. In March 2026 the UK Government provided up to £100 million to restart the facility for an initial three-month period to address a national CO2 supply shortage linked to Middle East disruption, and the plant returned to full operation in April 2026. Business continuity beyond the initial government-supported period remains contingent.

Name

Ensus

Legal name

Ensus UK Limited

Website

https://ensus.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ensus UK Limited operates a Teesside biorefinery producing bioethanol, biogenic CO2, and 350,000 tonnes of DDGS animal feed annually from feed wheat for UK industrial customers, as a subsidiary of Südzucker Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bioethanol and Biorefinery Products

NAICS

Grain and Oilseed Milling (3112)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Biofuel Co-products & Byproduct Processing (DDGS, Glycerin, CO2, Lignin) (EUAAAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Bioethanol manufacturing
• Biogenic CO2 supply
• DDGS animal feed
• Sustainable biorefinery
• Biomass processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Redcar

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Bioethanol Production: Production of sustainably produced ethanol as a gasoline substitute, used in fuels such as E10. Ethanol reduces emissions of CO2, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides in the transportation sector.
2. Biogenic CO2 Sales: Sale of captured biogenic CO2 to food, beverage, healthcare, nuclear, and cold storage industries. CO2 is critical for food preservation, meat slaughter, and brewing operations.
3. DDGS Animal Feed: Production of 350,000 tonnes per year of high protein animal feed (Distillers Grains with Solubles) as a co-product of the bioethanol process.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Ensus manufactures bioethanol from feed wheat at its Wilton biorefinery on Teesside, producing approximately 350,000 tonnes of high-protein DDGS animal feed per year and capturing biogenic CO2 for food, beverage, medical, and industrial customers. The company supplies bioethanol for transportation fuels such as E10, DDGS for the UK's livestock feed market, and biogenic CO2 to sectors including food preservation, meat processing, healthcare, nuclear, and cold storage.

Product overview

Ensus operates a sustainable biorefinery in Wilton, Teesside, UK, producing renewable products from biomass. The company's integrated production process generates three main products: Ethanol (a sustainable gasoline substitute for applications like E10 fuel), DDGS (high protein animal feed - approximately 350,000 tonnes annually), and Biogenic CO2 (captured during production for food, beverage, medical, and industrial uses). The biorefinery processes feed wheat to produce these co-products, with the bioethanol output supporting sustainable mobility while the CO2 and animal feed address broader food industry and agricultural needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ethanol Sustainably produced bioethanol used as a gasoline substitute, for example in E10 fuel blends. Reduces CO2 emissions, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides for climate-friendly transportation. Supplied to fuel blenders and distributors.
• DDGS (Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles) High protein animal feed produced as a co-product of the bioethanol process. Ensus produces approximately 350,000 tonnes per year, contributing significantly to the UK's protein supply for livestock farmers and feed manufacturers.
• Biogenic CO2 Plant-based CO2 captured during the bioethanol production process, where the CO2 absorbed by the feedstock during growth is released and recovered. Used for food, beverage, medical, and industrial applications including food preservation, meat slaughter, brewing, healthcare, and nuclear operations.
• Raw Material (Feed Wheat and Biomass) Feed wheat and other biomass inputs used as raw materials in the bioethanol production process at the Wilton biorefinery. The plant supports a market for over one million tonnes of feed wheat annually from northern England.

Quantifiable outcome

• 350,000 tonnes per year of high-protein animal feed produced
• +1 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Tereos: French agricultural cooperative producing bioethanol from sugar beet and wheat across multiple European sites with co-products including DDGS and pulp. Broader scope than Ensus due to integrated sugar platform, but directly comparable biorefinery model, regulatory exposure, and European bioethanol market positioning.
• Green Plains Inc. US-based bioethanol producer with multiple corn ethanol plants and growing focus on high-protein DDGS and renewable corn oil. Comparable integrated biorefinery economics with Ensus, including same commodity margin dynamics, but at significantly larger scale and with US feedstock cost advantages.
• POET: Largest US bioethanol producer with 28+ plants primarily using corn feedstock. The US ethanol industry is the direct competitive threat that drove the UK-US trade deal that shuttered Ensus, making POET the most relevant incumbent for understanding the cost curve and trade dynamics that constrain Ensus's competitiveness.

Direct peers

• Vivergo Fuels: The other major UK wheat-based bioethanol producer, located at Saltend, East Yorkshire, with ~420 million litre capacity. Operated with similar DDGS co-product model until its 2023 closure following the same UK-US ethanol tariff dynamics that shuttered Ensus, making it the closest historical and structural parallel in the UK market.
• Alcogroup: Belgian-headquartered European bioethanol producer with plants in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands processing grain and sugar beet into fuel ethanol and DDGS. Direct competitor in Northwest European wheat/sugar beet ethanol markets with overlapping customer base in fuel blenders and animal feed distributors.
• CropEnergies AG: Ensus's publicly-traded sister company within Südzucker Group and the largest European bioethanol producer. Operates multiple wheat- and grain-based ethanol plants across Germany, Belgium, France, and the UK with identical DDGS co-product economics and similar B2B go-to-market. Direct strategic and operational comparator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

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 Ensus