Associated British Foods plc has announced the closure of Vivergo Fuels, its bioethanol production plant in Hull, UK, which also produces high-quality animal feed for UK farms. Over the past decade, ABF has invested more than £700 million in Vivergo, sustaining operations through extended periods of losses caused by regulatory distortions and market imbalances. A spokesperson for ABF said: “It is deeply regrettable that the Government has chosen not to support a key national asset. We have been left with no choice but to announce the closure of Vivergo and we have informed our people. “This plant should always have been profitable under the right regulatory environment, as similar plants in Western Europe demonstrate.