UPDATE 1-Abengoa to restart biggest Spain bioethanol plant

MADRID July 15 (Reuters) - Spanish energy company Abengoa on Tuesday said it would restart its biggest bioethanol plant in Spain 'in the coming weeks' in the expectation that legislation on compulsory blending in petrol will revive the domestic market. The 158,000 tonne-per-year plant, in the central Salamanca province in central Spain, is half owned by food group Ebro Puleva and has been halted since September. The joint venture is known as Biocarburantes de Castilla y Leon (BCyL). Spain's Parliament last year passed a bill that would require that all petrol sold in the country be blended with a minimum of plant-based ethanol, which is due to come into effect on January 1, 2009. 'BCyL trusts that it (the law) will help to stimulate domestic demand,' a statement from Abengoa said. The Salamanca plant... [read full story]