Associated British Foods (ABF) has announced plans to shut down its Vivergo bioethanol plant near Hull, eastern England, by September 13, 2025, unless the UK government provides urgent financial support. The closure is attributed to the UK-US trade deal that removed tariffs on American ethanol imports, resulting in tariff-free competition that undermines the viability of domestic production. ABF has begun consultations with workers as part of the wind-down process, highlighting the challenges faced by the UK bioethanol industry amid increased imports. This development follows similar pressures on the UK’s biodiesel sector, with Trafigura-owned Greenergy initiating consultations to halt production at one of its two biodiesel plants. The closures threaten the nascent green energy sector critical to UK decarbonization efforts. Separately, the Lindsey oil refinery in northern England, owned by Prax Group, entered insolvency proceedings with 420 jobs at risk. Despite talks between Glencore and the UK government to maintain crude oil supply, no buyer was found for the refinery, and Energy Minister Michael Shanks confirmed it will close. The Unite Union has called for urgent government intervention to secure Lindsey’s future. In the United States, California officials are actively seeking a buyer for Valero Energy's Benicia refinery near San Francisco to prevent its planned closure in April 2026, marking an unusual state-level effort to sustain refinery operations amid regulatory challenges.