Production of bioethanol, neutral alcohol, biogenic CO2 and protein feedstuffs in European biorefineries

CropEnergies AG

Mannheim · Zeitz · Elsteraue · Wanze (BE) · Wilton (GB) · Loon-Plage (FR) · Rotterdam (NL)New on Amplifa

2006Founded

523Employees (as of February 2026)

5 production sites in 4 countriesSites

1.3 million m³ fuel ethanol p. a.Production capacity

50,000 t p. a.Bio-based ethyl acetate capacity (Elsteraue)

Sustainable products from biomass

CropEnergies AG, headquartered in Mannheim, is a European ethanol manufacturer and part of the Südzucker Group. In biorefineries in Zeitz (Germany), Wanze (Belgium), Wilton (United Kingdom) and Loon-Plage (France), wheat, maize, barley, triticale, rye and sugar syrups are processed via the process steps of milling, saccharification, fermentation, rectification and dehydration with molecular sieves into fuel ethanol and high-purity neutral alcohol. The production capacity is 1.3 million m³ of ethanol for fuel applications and around 150,000 m³ of ethanol for technical and traditional applications per year. Co-products of fermentation are fully utilised: DDGS (ProtiGrain®, Ensus DDGS) is produced, as well as the liquid feed ProtiWanze® (CDS), wheat gluten and liquefied biogenic CO2 with a purity of over 99 %. At the Elsteraue site, a plant for the production of bio-based ethyl acetate is being built (50,000 t per year, production start planned for 2026/27). The products find buyers in the fuel and transport sector as well as in the beverage, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, chemical and feed industries.

Site: Mannheim
Processes: Biorefinery: ethanol production from cereals and sugar syrups (milling process, saccharification,, Production of high-purity neutral alcohol (rectification/purification of raw alcohol), Denaturing of alcohol (denatured, non-denatured, partially denatured, fully denatured,, Capture, purification and liquefaction of biogenic CO2 from fermentation, Production of ethyl acetate (bio-based) from renewable ethanol, production process without, Drying and pelleting of stillage into DDGS (ProtiGrain®), indirect drying at low, Separation and drying of wheat protein (gluten) during the milling process, Production of textured wheat protein as a meat alternative (BeneoPro W-Tex)
Materials: Wheat, Maize, Barley, Triticale, Rye, Sugar beet syrup, Ethanol (bioethanol), Ethyl acetate (ethyl ester, bio-based)
Certificates: ISO 9001:2015, ISO 9001:2015 (Ryssen Alcools), GMP+ FSA (BioWanze), FSSC 22000 (gluten, BioWanze), Halal (wheat gluten, BioWanze), Kosher (wheat gluten, BioWanze), FEMAS (Ensus UK), GMP+ FSA, FSSC 22000 (Gluten), FEMAS, Halal / Kosher (wheat gluten)
Founded: 2006
Employees: 523
Industries: Fuel/transport sector, Beverage industry, Food industry, Pharmaceutical industry, Cosmetics industry, Chemical industry

01
Raw material intake (cereals, sugar syrups predominantly from within a 200 km
02
Milling or grinding process with gluten separation (Wanze)
03
Saccharification of the starch with enzymes
04
Alcoholic fermentation to ethanol and biogenic CO2
05
Distillation and rectification
06
Dehydration with molecular sieves (purity over 99 %)
07
Capture, purification and liquefaction of the biogenic CO2
08
Drying and pelleting of the stillage into feedstuffs
09
Dispatch by barge, rail and truck as well as via the Rotterdam tank farm

Raw materials and products

WEIZEN

Wheat

Main raw material of the biorefineries; in Wanze, wheat gluten is also separated from it in addition to starch.

MAIS

Maize

Starch-containing cereal for ethanol production in Zeitz, Wilton and Wanze.

GERSTE

Barley

Flexibly usable cereal in the raw material mix of the ethanol plants.

TRITICALE

Triticale

Can be processed in Zeitz alongside other cereal varieties.

ROGGEN

Rye

Starch-containing raw material for fermentation into ethanol.

ZUCKERSIRUP

Sugar beet syrup

Sugar-containing intermediate product of the Südzucker Group used as a raw material for ethanol production.

ETHANOL

Bioethanol

Main product as a petrol substitute as well as raw material for neutral alcohol and bio-based chemicals.

Neutral alcohol

Odourless and taste-neutral, rectified alcohol for beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and technical applications.

Biogenic CO2

Carbon dioxide generated during fermentation with a purity of over 99 % for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

DDGS

Wheat gluten

Protein-rich food and feedstuff (protein content over 80 %) from the milling process in Wanze.

Sites

Mannheim

Headquarters and administration

Zeitz

Biorefinery: ethanol, neutral alcohol, DDGS (ProtiGrain®), biogenic CO2 (CropEnergies Bioethanol GmbH)

Lot size: around 400,000 m³ ethanol p. a., of which up to 60,000 m³ neutral alcohol
Materials: wheat, maize, barley, triticale, sugar syrups

Ethanol plant (biorefinery, commissioned in 2005)
Energy centre with combined heat and power
Neutral alcohol upgrading plant
Drying and pelleting plant

Elsteraue

Production of bio-based chemicals (green ethyl acetate), production start planned for 4th quarter 2026/27 (CE Biobased

Lot size: 50,000 t ethyl acetate p. a.
Materials: bio-based ethanol

Plant for the production of ethyl acetate without acetic acid (technology provider Johnson Matthey)

Wanze

Biorefinery: ethanol, wheat gluten, ProtiWanze® (CDS), biogenic CO2 (BioWanze SA)

Lot size: over 60,000 t wheat gluten p. a.
Materials: wheat

Next-generation ethanol plant
Biomass power station
Gluten separation and drying
Evaporation plant for CDS

Wilton

Biorefinery: ethanol and Ensus DDGS (Ensus UK Ltd.)

Lot size: 400,000 m³ ethanol and 350,000 t DDGS p. a.
Materials: feed grain

Ethanol plant
CO2 supply (250,000 t p. a.) to a partner company for purification

Loon-Plage

Upgrading of raw alcohol into neutral alcohol (Ryssen Alcools SAS)

Lot size: up to 90 million litres of neutral alcohol p. a.
Materials: raw alcohol from sugar- or starch-containing crops

Plant for rectification, distillation, dehydration and denaturing
Port connection for inland and seagoing vessels as well as rail and road

Rotterdam

Tank farm

Tank farm (two locations)

Products

**Wheat gluten for baked goods**Milling process · food industry

**ProtiGrain® / ProtiWanze® / Ensus DDGS**Drying and pelleting · feed industry

**Neutral alcohol and biogenic CO2 for pharmaceuticals**Rectification · pharmaceutical industry

Inside the production

Schematic representation of the biorefinery

Impression from the production facilities

Industries

Fuel/transport sectorBeverage industryFood industryPharmaceutical industryCosmetics industryChemical industryFeed/animal nutrition industryAquaculture

Processes & technical limits

Processes	Tolerance	Max. part	Weight	Lot size	Materials
Biorefinery: ethanol production from cereals and sugar syrups (milling process, saccharification,Other	–	–	–	–	wheat, maize, barley, triticale, rye, sugar syrups, sugar beet syrup, pre-liquefied wheat starch
Production of high-purity neutral alcohol (rectification/purification of raw alcohol)Other	–	–	–	up to 150 million litres per year	raw alcohol from sugar- or starch-containing crops, cereals, sugar syrups
Denaturing of alcohol (denatured, non-denatured, partially denatured, fully denatured,Other	–	–	–	–	ethanol
Capture, purification and liquefaction of biogenic CO2 from fermentationOther	–	–	–	–	biogenic CO2
Production of ethyl acetate (bio-based) from renewable ethanol, production process withoutOther	–	–	–	50,000 t per year	bio-based ethanol
Drying and pelleting of stillage into DDGS (ProtiGrain®), indirect drying at lowOther	–	–	–	650,000 t DDGS per year (group)	cereals, sugar syrups, stillage
Separation and drying of wheat protein (gluten) during the milling processOther	–	–	–	over 60,000 t per year (Wanze)	wheat
Production of textured wheat protein as a meat alternative (BeneoPro W-Tex)Other	–	–	–	–	wheat gluten
Evaporation of stillage into CDS (ProtiWanze®), liquid feedstuffOther	–	–	–	more than 400,000 t CDS per year	wheat, stillage
Quality assurance with modern process control technology and laboratory analyses (analyticalTesting	–	–	–	–	–

5 Anlagen & Maschinen

Machine	Manufacturer / model	Quantity	Working area	Year built	Site
Ethanol plant (biorefinery)	CropEnergies Bioethanol GmbH	–	–	2005 (Inbe	Zeitz, Germany
Next-generation ethanol plant with biomass power station	BioWanze SA	–	–	–	Wanze, Belgium
Neutral alcohol plant (rectification, distillation, dehydration, denaturing)	Ryssen Alcools SAS	–	–	–	Loon-Plage, France
Ethanol plant	Ensus UK Ltd.	–	–	–	Wilton, United Kingdom
Plant for the production of green ethyl acetate	CE Biobased Chemicals GmbH	–	–	Produktion	Elsteraue, Germany

Additional services

Upgrading of raw alcohol into neutral alcohol (denaturing in various variants)Rectification and distillationCO2 purification and liquefactionDrying and pelleting of stillage into feedstuffSensory quality controlLogistics (barge, rail, truck, tank farm)Research and development

Reference customers

Four Motors (racing team, E20 fuel)Gluten distribution via BENEO (subsidiary of Südzucker AG)

Quality and certifications

A quality assurance system with modern process control technology and its own analytical laboratories monitors product quality from raw material intake to delivery; a team of specialists for sensory control ensures the organoleptic quality of the neutral alcohol through regular blind tests.

Evidence	Zeitz	Wanze	Wilton	Loon-Plage
ISO 9001:2015
GMP+ FSA
FSSC 22000 (Gluten)
FEMAS
Halal / Kosher (wheat gluten)

History

2005
Commissioning of the ethanol plant in Zeitz
2006
Foundation of CropEnergies AG
2010
Commissioning of BioWanze in Wanze; Zeitz ethanol production certified as sustainable
2013
Ensus UK becomes a member of the CropEnergies Group in July
2015
Start of neutral alcohol production in Zeitz; beginning of the collaboration with Four Motors
2016
Supply of the Four Motors racing team with E20 high-performance fuel
2024
Dr. Fritz Georg von Graevenitz becomes CEO as of 1 March, Heike Baumbach CFO
2025
Dr. Uwe Boltersdorf becomes COO as of 1 April
2026
Delisting acquisition offer by Südzucker AG; construction of the green ethyl acetate plant in Elsteraue, production start planned for 2026/27