BayWa r.e. announces sale of biomethane plant in Germany to Evergaz

BayWa r.e has announced that it is selling a biomethane plant located in Mehrum, Lower Saxony, Germany to Evergaz Deutschland GmbH, a joint venture comprising the France-based biogas project developer and operator Evergaz and MERIDIAM, an infrastructure investment firm.

BayWa r.e. took over the plant, which yields a total biomethane output of some 700 Nm³/h and 600 kW of electricity (CHP), and refurbished it comprehensively in 2015. After the sale, the company will remain responsible for the plant's operation and for the raw materials management. The company will also safeguard the collaboration with agricultural partners and allow it to be maintained in the long term.

The plant was commissioned in 2012 and had changed owners several times before BayWa r.e. took it over at the end of 2015. The company initiated further investments totalling around EUR2 million (US$2.3 million). In the course of the resulting upgrading work, a new fermentation residue storage tank was installed and the gas storage capacities were expanded, among other things. In addition, various quality improvement measures were implemented.

On completion of the refurbishment, the fermentation line will yield approximately 70 million kWh of energy per year. Just under 90% will be fed into the Avacon gas grid as biomethane. That corresponds to the amount of gas consumed by around 3,000 households.