VNG subsidiary BALANCE acquires biogas facility in Gardelegen
Following the acquisition, BALANCE now operates 14 biogas facilities in Saxony-Anhalt
BALANCE Erneuerbare Energien GmbH (BALANCE), a fully owned subsidiary of VNG, taken over a biogas plant in Gardelegen (near Salzwedel in Altmark region) with effect from 1 July 2024.
The acquisition will grow BALANCE’s portfolio to 41 biogas facilities in Northern and Eastern Germany, increasing the total rated thermal output to approx. 185 MWRTO and supplying around 120,000 households with green energy. As per the agreement, the purchase price has not been revealed.
The facility, which was commissioned in 2011, has a total installed capacity of 7.6 MWRTO and is a combined system design. This includes a biomethane processing plant with a capacity of 350 Nm³/h, a base-load CHP plant (635 kWel) and a flex CHP plant (900 kWel) commissioned at the end of 2020. In addition, there is a photovoltaic system with an output of 122 kWp installed on the facility’s roof.
The Gardelegen biogas facility is located close to five other plants owned by BALANCE, which is strategically consolidating its existing cluster in the Altmark region through the acquisition. “Our facilities in Hottendorf, Satuelle, Oebisfelde, Mehrin and Hohenwulsch are all less than 30 kilometres from Gardelegen. This opens up excellent opportunities for synergies, for example with regard to the procurement of substrates, spreading of fermentation residues and utilisation of the extensive silo capacities that Gardelegen has to offer,” explains BALANCE Managing Director Volker Klinkert.
BALANCE is acquiring the plant from the previous operating company Biogas Gardelegen as part of an asset deal. The agricultural operations owned by the former shareholders will continue to serve as the primary substrate suppliers for the facility. “We always try to take the regional characteristics of our locations into account, because we regard ourselves as a partner of sustainable agriculture and recycling management. In biogas production, we are very committed to creating added value in the region,” Fritsch adds.
With this acquisition, BALANCE will be tapping into additional renewable biomethane volumes, thereby consistently pursuing and implementing BALANCE’s corporate sustainability goals. The plant produces around 32 GWh of biomethane and around 5.2 GWh of electricity per year. BALANCE is thus making a significant contribution to green energy generation in the region.
“Biogas will continue to play a key role in achieving the German government’s climate targets in the future. It is the only renewable energy source that is available locally, can be used flexibly, can be stored and that is also base-load capable. With this acquisition, BALANCE is reaffirming its commitment to a sustainable and future-oriented energy supply and strengthening its position as a leading producer of renewable energies,” says Hans-Joachim Polk, Member of the Executive Board for Infrastructure and Technology at VNG AG.
VNG is a group of over 20 companies active in the European energy industry, employing about 1,700 people. As a gas importer and wholesaler as well as an operator of critical gas infrastructure, the Group, which is headquartered in Leipzig, is central to the secure supply of gas in Germany. With the “VNG 2030+” strategy, VNG is also pursuing an ambitious path for a market ramp-up of renewable and decarbonised gases such as biogas and hydrogen, paving the way for a sustainable, secure supply and, in the long term, climate-neutral energy system of the future.
BALANCE was founded in 2006 and is currently one of the leading biogas plant operators in Germany with 41 plants in northern and eastern Germany. The company, which currently has around 180 employees, supplies people throughout Germany with regionally produced, safe and CO2-neutral energy in the form of biogas, heat and electricity. In addition, BALANCE develops innovative products along its value chain and is committed to giving biogas more prominence in a sustainable energy economy.
With an ambitious growth strategy, BALANCE has quintupled its plant portfolio since 2018 and today generates renewable energy with a firing thermal capacity of over 185 MWFWL. This means that BALANCE mathematically supplies around 120,000 households with renewable green energy every year. As a wholly owned subsidiary of VNG AG, BALANCE combines the activities of the parent company in the field of renewable energy production. More at www.balance-vng.de.
Press picture
BGA Gardelegen (picture: Rico Thumser / VNG)
