Verbio posts record biodiesel production for 2017/18

In Germany, VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG posted a 5.6% decline in group sales revenue over the previous year due to lower prices for bioethanol and biodiesel, but exceeded record levels of biodiesel production set in the previous year. Biodiesel production amounted to 476,211 tons (2017/2018: 473,382 tons). Revenues in the Biodiesel segment in the financial year 2017/2018 amounted to EUR 456.8 million (2016/2017: EUR 471.6 million). Production capacity utilization was 101 percent.

The Bioethanol segment generated revenues of EUR 219.1 million in 2017/2018 (2016/2017: EUR 245.2 million) but production was not able to match the record levels in the previous year, with a total production volume of 246,300 tonnes (2016/2017: 248,755 tonnes). The production of biomethane increased by 8.8 percent to 608 GWh (2016/2017: 559 GWh).

In addition to making further investment in the expansion of sterol production, VERBIO concentrated on expanding and optimising the existing biomethane plants – with a focus on the straw biomethane technology which is key for entering new markets in Asia and the USA. The new straw biomethane plant at Pinnow is currently close to being brought into use.