Ben Hackett, Vivergo’s managing director described the government’s decision not to provide a rescue package as a “massive blow to Hull and the Humber”.
He said the government had decided the bioethanol sector was something that could be “traded away” and that it amounted to a “flagrant act of economic self-harm”.
As well as the loss of its own staff, Vivergo warned there would be a knock-on effect on suppliers and customers.
Paul Temple, a farmer situated less than 30 miles from Vivergo, has not only sold his wheat to the plant, but also purchased feed for his livestock.
“As a result of trade negotiations – making a plant effectively uneconomic… this is really frustrating,” he said.
Louise Holder, director of a local haulage firm, added the closure would have a “massive” impact on the local economy.
“People [will be] out of work,” she said. “Obviously there’s an impact then on the hospitality industry, because people aren’t going out, because they can’t afford to. It just has a rippling effect on everybody, every business.”