Two First-Class Waste Management Technologies Under One Roof as a Result of New Acquisition

On October 24, Hitachi Zosen Inova AG (HZI) signed an agreement with Axpo Kompogas Engineering AG to acquire the business under an asset deal.

With over 80 years of experience and more than 400 reference projects, HZI is one of the world’s leading providers of high-efficient energy-from-waste technology and turnkey plants. Since its establishment in Switzerland in 1991, Axpo Kompogas Engineering AG has constructed more than 70 biogas plants and gained a market share of around 30% to become a leader in its own segment, anaerobic digestion (AD). “The two technologies complement each other ideally, generating energy from municipal residual and green waste respectively”, explains Franz-Josef Mengede, CEO of HZI.

In various regions around the world a trend is emerging towards the separate collection and recovery of biogenic waste. HZI is responding to this development by integrating AD into its own organisation, and from now on will be able to offer its customers both thermal and biological solutions for sustainable waste-to-energy conversion. “Thanks to our global market presence and expertise in plant construction we will be able to offer Kompogas plants worldwide in the future,” says Franz-Josef Mengede. The adoption of AD technology makes HZI the first company in the world to offer both technologies as in-house solutions: “We are proud that in future we will be able to offer our customers the best of both thermal and biological energy-from-waste technologies.”

HZI will continue to market the technology under the Kompogas brand. In addition to this, service and maintenance for existing Kompogas plants will be continued under HZI. The deal comes at the right time for both companies. The acquisition will enable HZI to address the specific market requirements emerging from the separate collection of biogenic waste. Axpo’s biogas generation business will concentrate on operating its 15 existing plants in Switzerland. “We’re delighted to have found a new owner for our Axpo Kompogas Engineering AG plant construction unit in the shape of HZI,” explains Bettina Charrière, who heads Axpo’s New Energies Division. “Under HZI, Kompogas Engineering AG’s technological expertise in the construction of biogas plants will be able to continue developing and evolving while Axpo focuses on its core competence as leading executer of biomass plants.”

In addition to acquiring Kompogas Engineering AG’s know-how and all its licenses, Zurich-based HZI will also preserve jobs by taking on the majority of its staff, including an apprentice. Completion of the final closing of the relevant contractual agreements is expected by mid December.