Abengoa eyes biomass but ethanol plant still halted

MADRID, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Spanish energy company Abengoa (ABG.MC) on Friday said it expected to open an ethanol plant using biomass this year but had no plans to restart its largest bioethanol plant using grain.

A company spokeswoman said by email that Abengoa planned to open the 5 million litre (about 4,000 tonnes) a year plant at Babilafuente in central Salamanca province using cereal biomass as its raw material.

Abengoa halted its 158,000 tonne-per-year bioethanol plant at Babilafuente in September, citing high grain prices and uncertainty over domestic demand for biofuel.

The plant, a joint venture with food group Ebro Puleva (EVA.MC), used barley as its main input, which has eased to about 225 euros ($329) a tonne from 260 in September, but is still much more expensive than a year ago.

The company's 139,000-tonne bioethanol plant in northeastern port A Coruna and its remaining 118,000-tonne unit in southeastern port Cartagena were both working normally.

A 200,000 tonne per year biodiesel plant being built by Abengoa for oil company Cepsa (CEP.MC) in San Roque, near Gibraltar, was due for completion this year. (Reporting by Martin Roberts; Editing by Peter Blackburn)