THE publicity surrounding alternative fuels has seen the share price leap for Associated British Foods, owner of British Sugar.

The Financial Times reported a rise in ABF share prices as traders picked up on a deal with DuPont and BP to make biobutanol at ABF’s Wissington fermentation plant in Norfolk.

Biobutanol can be made from sugar or cereal and has higher energy content than ethanol.

Broker Panmure Gordon told the FT: ‘The Wissington facility is effectively intended to prove the viability of large-scale production of biobutanol.