When the French Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dominique Bussereau, came to Montardon (Atlantic Pyrenees region) and visited the offices of AGPM/ MAIZEUROP, he announced that for the new 2008 tax exemption period there would be approval for 60 000 tonnes of ethanol for the AB BIOENERGY FRANCE (ABF) plant in Lacq.

This approval will take the total volume of ethanol covered by tax exemptions up to 100 000 tonnes;  the project is for a total of 180 000 tonnes to be produced, requiring 500 000 tonnes of maize.
 
AGPM, the general association of maize growers, together with collection/transport companies in south-western France and all maize farmers and the Abengoa President & CEO, Javier Salgado, who are behind the project, are delighted that the Minister of Agriculture visited Pau, seeing this as official recognition and support for both maize and the ABF ethanol project.
 
There are also hopes that a further and substantial extension needed for the plant to become a profit-making venture will be approved by the end of the year as part of the next 150 000 tonne stage.

Contacts AGPM  Claude LACADEE
Tél : 05.59.12.67.72 – portable : 06.80.31.62.27
Béatrice GUENEBEAUD 
Tél : 01.47.23.48.32 – portable : 06.84.51.00.96