Corporate | 5 September 2012 09:07


EnviTec strategy in France bears fruit


EnviTec Biogas AG / Key word(s): Strategic Company Decision/Miscellaneous

05.09.2012 / 09:07


Corporate News

French biogas plants score with flexible energy recovery of input materials
EnviTec strategy in France bears fruit

Lohne, 05 September 2012 – 'Our strategy of attracting attention in France with our own biogas plants and also proving our flexibility in energy recovery from waste has borne fruit,' says Roel Slotman, Sales Director of EnviTec Biogas AG. The Lower Saxon biogas plant builder founded the joint venture 'Biowatt' to build and operate its first biogas plant together with the French agricultural business Le Crom in Rohan, Brittany. The plant (input materials: pig slurry, renewable materials and fats) started operations in November 2010 with a connected load of 526 kilowatts with the long-term participation of agricultural and industrial cooperation partners from the region. Since then three additional agricultural businesses have followed the example of Le Crom-Farm.

Enormous advantages of 'waste to energy' technology

The latest new addition in France is the 1415 kW plant from René Van der Meijden, Philippe Meinrad, Noël Adam from Agrivalor Énergie. Together the three operators in Ribeauville in Alsace have profited from the extremely flexible energy recovery of the input materials since January 2012. The EnviTec plant uses cattle slurry, renewable materials and also waste from the food industry such as wine marc. Organic waste is continually generated by the producers of food and agricultural products. With the right technology by-products such as fats or slaughter waste are suitable as valuable substrates for biogas production. This increases the cost effectiveness of the producing businesses and contributes to generating environmentally friendly energy. The efficient energy recovery of organic waste in biogas plants also completes the circuit of sustainable management. Waste that would otherwise have to be cost intensively disposed of can be profitably utilised to generate electricity, heat or bio-natural gas. Thanks to the high energy yield in 'waste to energy' biogas plants from EnviTec the need for fossil fuels is reduced and the CO2 balance of production business is considerably improved.

Turning organic waste into valuable substrates requires food that is still packed to be unpacked and sanitised in a separate plant in advance. EnviTec also helps here with the necessary technology. 'With a total capacity of 25,000 t/a the sanitisation plant from EnviTec offers enormous advantages and flexibility in our input materials,' according to Philippe Meinrad. The three operators have concluded heating contracts with a casino including a hotel with their biogas plant. The plant heats the swimming pool there. A neighbouring residential area is also provided with heat.

An additional EnviTec biogas plant also started operations in Etreville, Normandy. With a plant size of 1063 kW the dairy farmer Régis Marie also uses a variety of input materials. The business with 385 dairy cows primarily uses renewable materials, grass silage by-products such as fats as well as biosolids, cow manure and stall manure.
In 2013 EnviTec expects the completion of a fourth biogas plant in France. The contract for this has already been wrapped up. 'The future operators Energia 55 from Meuse, near Nancy, were convinced by our plant construction in Ribeauville. We are planning a 637 kW plant together,' explained Roel Slotman.

EnviTec Biogas has a branch in France with six employees and is planning to expand sales further. 'France is the country with the largest agricultural sector in Europe and its many agricultural businesses offer great potential to EnviTec,' said sales expert Slotman. A total of 211 biogas plants are currently being built or are operating in France – with a rising trend.


About EnviTec Biogas AG
EnviTec Biogas AG covers the entire value chain for the production of biogas, including the planning and turnkey construction of biogas plants as well as their commissioning. The company takes charge of biological and technical services on demand and also offers full plant and operational management. In addition, EnviTec also operates its own biogas plants. In 2011 EnviTec Biogas established EnviTec Energy GmbH & Co. KG and its 100% subsidiary EnviTec Stromkontor GmbH & Co. KG, expanding its business operations into the direct marketing of upgraded biomethane as well as the marketing of green electricity and balancing energy. Today, EnviTec Biogas AG is represented in 15 countries throughout Europe, as well as in India and the USA. In 2011 EnviTec generated revenues of EUR 243.9 million and an EBIT of EUR 10.8 million. The EnviTec Group currently has 470 employees. EnviTec has been listed on the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since July 2007.

Press contact:
Katrin Selzer
EnviTec Biogas AG
Tel: +49 25 74 88 88 – 810
E-mail: k.selzer@envitec-biogas.de

Investor Relations:
Olaf Brandes
EnviTec Biogas AG
Tel: +49 44 42 8016 – 8130
E-mail: ir@envitec-biogas.de



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Language: English
Company: EnviTec Biogas AG
Industriering 10a
49393 Lohne
Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 44 42 – 80 65 0
Fax: +49 (0) 44 42 – 80 65 103
E-mail: info@envitec-biogas.de
Internet: www.envitec-biogas.de
ISIN: DE000A0MVLS8
WKN: A0MVLS
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München, Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News-Service

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