Hitachi Zosen Inova Grows Renewable Gas Business with Acquisition of Majority Stake in Italian Biomethane and Biogas Plant Developer and Supplier Schmack Biogas
The signing and closing of the transaction were completed simultaneously in Milan on 7 March 2024. With the transaction, PLC SpA has sold its entire 51% stake in the company, while the remaining shareholders, Mr Massimo Rossetto and Mr Nicolò Cariboni, retain minority interests.
Milan, Italy. Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI) is extending its European biogas and biomethane plant production and distribution footprint into northern Italy with the acquisition of a majority interest in Schmack Biogas S.r.l.
Schmack Biogas is a leading player in the Italian biogas and biomethane industry. It was established in 2006 as the Italian branch of its parent company in Germany, and after a management buyout in 2018, sold a controlling stake in 2020 to the Italian energy firm PLC SpA.
Schmack Biogas has successfully built approximately 70 biogas/biomethane plants across Italy and internationally. Schmack Biogas brings not only additional EPC and O&M service capacities to HZI’s portfolio, but also strong project development prospects, enabling the further development of the business and wider biomethane plant sector in the coming years. The agreement with HZI will see Messrs Rossetto and Cariboni remain board members of Schmack Biogas.
HZI’s Chief Executive Officer, Bruno-Frédéric Baudouin, said: “It’s an honour to bring Schmack Italy into the HZI family. With best-in-class proprietary technology and a proven track record in EPC and O&M, I’m confident Schmack will provide a strong platform for growth in the Italian biogas sector and beyond. I’m very pleased to issue a warm welcome to the team. I look forward to working together to develop the company and contribute to the industry over the coming years.”
Massimo Rossetto commented: “With HZI as our new parent company, the prospects for Schmack Biogas and our customers have never been stronger. HZI is renowned as a global leader in waste management infrastructure and a strong investor in innovation and talent. We share HZI’s core values: we care, we deliver, we innovate. And we are delighted to be in position to make an even stronger contribution towards decarbonisation, resource circularity and supply security.”
Nicolò Cariboni added: “The beauty of the new structure is that it installs Schmack Biogas in an ecosystem of growth, with full access to HZI’s blend of Swiss technology and Japanese innovation. I’m excited to see what we can achieve together.”
In 2021, HZI acquired Schmack Biogas Service GmbH and microbEnergy GmbH, which have more than 450 wet anaerobic digestion reference plants, including biological methanation plants. They are now part of HZI as Hitachi Zosen Inova Schmack GmbH.
HZI entered the biogas business in 2014 and owns the Kompogas® dry anaerobic digestion technology. HZI has 100 Kompogas® reference plants worldwide (including those under construction), and has been working to strengthen its operations and maintenance businesses. Through Hitachi Zosen Inova BioMethan, the group also offers technologies for gas upgrading, biomethane and CO2 liquefaction. In 100-plus reference projects worldwide, renewable energy is produced, as well as biofuels and non-fossil CO2 gas.