WASTE TO ENERGY FIRM HZI ACQUIRES AXPO’S KOMPOGAS BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY

Zurich based waste to energy technology manufacturer, Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI), has signed an agreement with biogas technology firm, Axpo Kompogas Engineering, to acquire its business under an asset deal

HZI explained that the acquisition of the Kompogas technology completes its portfolio of waste to energy technology offerings and enable it to also offer plants based on the Kompogas technology for energy recovery by fermentation.

“The two technologies complement each other ideally, generating energy from municipal residual and green waste respectively”, explained Franz-Josef Mengede, CEO of HZI.

The company added that the Kompogas name will be retained, continuing a brand with a strong tradition in biogas generation.

According to HZI, since its establishment in Switzerland in 1991, Axpo Kompogas Engineering has constructed more than 70 biogas plants and gained a market share of around 30%.

In various regions around the world HZI said that a trend is emerging towards the separate collection and recovery of biogenic waste. It is responding to this development by integrating AD into its own organisation, and from now on will be able to offer its customers both thermal and biological solutions for waste to energy.

“Thanks to our global market presence and expertise in plant construction we will be able to offer Kompogas plants worldwide in the future,” commented Mengede.

The company claimed that the adoption of AD technology makes it the first company in the world to offer both technologies as in-house solutions.

“We are proud that in future we will be able to offer our customers the best of both thermal and biological energy-from-waste technologies.”

Service and maintenance for existing Kompogas plants will be continued under HZI and Axpo’s biogas generation business will concentrate on operating its 15 existing plants in Switzerland.

Bettina Charrière, who heads Axpo’s New Energies Division added: “Under HZI, Kompogas Engineering AG’s technological expertise in the construction of biogas plants will be able to continue developing and evolving while Axpo focuses on its core competence as leading executer of biomass plants.”

In addition to acquiring Kompogas Engineering AG’s know-how and all its licenses, HZI said that it will also preserve jobs by taking on the majority of its staff, including an apprentice.

Completion of the final closing of the relevant contractual agreements is expected by mid-December.