Growing sugar beet in Scotland for processing into bioethanol could support thousands of jobs and make a significant contribution to the country’s net zero ambitions, it has been claimed.

A new study, funded by Scottish Enterprise and produced by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre, concluded that at least 815 jobs could be directly created by moving towards domestically produced bioethanol as a sustainable feedstock for manufacturing, along with hundreds more through associated supply chain and logistics services.

Sugar extracted from sugar beet can be used in the production of ethanol as a substitute for the petroleum-based chemicals currently used in a range of household goods, as well as antibiotics, therapeutic proteins, and for transportation. The report asserted that making this substitution would also safeguard many of the 11,000 jobs in Scotland’s chemicals industry, and create new roles in the burgeoning biotechnology sector – many of which would likely be in rural and deprived areas.

Read more: Scottish bioeconomy could be built on sugar beet

Crop trials conducted in 2020 found that Scotland can grow sugar beet at competitive yields, based upon which the IBioIC report proposed an initial target of growing one million tonnes of sugar beet annually, which could in turn produce 110 million litres of bioethanol per year – expected to be around 75% of Scotland’s current needs for transport.

Dundee – for its proximity to suitable agricultural land – or Grangemouth, because of its access to power generation, water treatment, a major port, and existing presence of chemicals companies, have been identified in the report as the optimal locations for a new bioethanol plant to process the crop.

Chief Executive Officer at IBioIC, Mark Bustard, said: “The report underlines the scale and significance of the opportunity for Scotland through the re-introduction of sugar beet and the creation of an associated bioethanol plant. The introduction of the new E10 mandate, meaning 10% of petroleum fuel is blended with bioethanol, effectively doubles our need for sustainably sourced ethanol overnight.

“However, it is merely a precursor to much bigger changes ahead and sustainable indigenous sugar supply from biomass is a key component in growing a significant new cluster in Scotland," he said. "Many of the largest consumer goods manufacturers in the world have committed to net-zero carbon targets and moving away from products made from petrochemicals is a big part of that drive.

“Bio-based production is the future of manufacturing in a net-zero Scotland and sugar beet is at the core of Scotland’s opportunity to develop a sustainable feedstock and compete on the global stage. Not only could it safeguard many of the thousands of jobs in our existing chemicals sector, but it could create hundreds more through new opportunities and manufacturing methods."

Trade Minister Ivan McKee said: “When managed carefully, renewable resources offer a potential pathway to transform our manufacturing sector and create new value chains for bio-based products in the transition to a low carbon economy.

“I welcome this report, which will contribute to the evidence-based decisions we will make in our transition to net zero, while protecting our natural environment and its biodiversity. The publication is especially timely as we look forward to the final refresh of the National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology which will be published next year.”

Managing director at Scottish Enterprise, Linda Hanna, said: “This report shows that reintroducing sugar beet is a powerful step in helping to achieve Scotland’s economic and net zero ambitions. Hot on the heels of COP26 in Glasgow, publishing this report now is no coincidence and gives a strong message of how to take action on climate change. Not only can sugar beet provide a credible, sustainable, low carbon alternative to fossil carbon for manufacturing, it can also accelerate the growth of Scotland’s biotechnology sector."