By
8 min ago 2 min read
The first agricultural biomethane plant in Poland has started producing and injecting biomethane into the country’s gas network.
The facility, located in Komorowo, east-central Poland, is owned by private investor Agro-Biogas while minority shareholder Axpo offtakes and sells the gas produced under a 20-year deal. The plant will use manure and slurry to produce around 20 GWh of renewable gas a year.
Heat generated during the process is utilised by the plant, while the digestate can be applied as organic fertiliser.
Krzysztof Ryszkiewicz, Axpo in Poland board member and Head of Portfolio Management, said the project shows how collaboration between local entrepreneurs, investors and a trading partner can create bankable projects and set standards for further development of Poland’s biomethane market.
Marek Dzwonkowski, Agro-Biogas President of the Management Board, said through converting feedstock to biomethane, and digestate to fertiliser, it can “close the loop” and make efficient use of resources.
“As such, it is an investment in the future of our farms for generations to come. However, stability is also crucial for a project of this scale. The long-term biomethane offtake agreement with Axpo was an important factor in strengthening the bankability of the entire project,” he said.
The development complements Axpo’s European portfolio, which spans Switzerland, Spain and Italy.
Warsaw-based developer Galia Green Power signed a financing agreement worth PLN376m ($101m) with a consortium of PKO Bank Polski, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) and mBank , in August, which followed BGK investing €25m ($28.4m) in the (Swift 3), managed by the French company Swen Capital Partners, in June.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently called on member states to and homegrown clean energy.
