Abengoa Reports Top Year for Biofuel Business

by Anna Simet (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Abengoa’s biofuels segment experienced the best year in its history in 2014, company CEO Manuel Sánchez Ortega reported during the company’s 2014 fiscal year results, which can be largely attributed to very high margins and increased production and sales of ethanol.

Abengoa grew revenues by five percent in its biofuels segment in a strong Q4 2014, Ortega said.

Corn oil production marks an important step for the company, he said, as it gives Abengoa more resilience and diversification of products in its biofuels business. He added that corn oil production will occur at the company’s York, Nebraska, cellulosic ethanol pilot facility this year, and further growth in corn oil production through 2015 can be expected.

The company’s commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kansas, is continuing the ramp-up process, according to Ortega. “At this moment, we are solving some mechanical problems we’re finding as we operate, and we expect to continue to increase production levels during the following weeks.”