VORN Bioenergy has acquired five biogas plants and an associated composting facility from Enerfarm, an Equitix portfolio company, across Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto in northern Italy.
The acquisition represents significant expansion of VORN's European biomethane capacity and follows recent acquisition of a biogas facility in Wolnzach, Bavaria.
The five plants and composting facility have combined capacity exceeding 200 GWh, equivalent to the annual thermal energy requirements of approximately 14,000 households.
The facilities are at varying stages of construction and development.
VORN Bioenergy is pursuing an aggressive growth strategy across key European markets, with operations in Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Poland.
The company, which has been independent since 2022, has more than 20 years of project experience and has realised more than 40 bioenergy projects across Europe. VORN's operational base is in Regensburg, Germany.
"Biomethane is a key pillar of the energy transition. Our clear objective is to drive the energy transition forward. The acquisition of the plants in northern Italy, together with our activities at further locations in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Poland, forms part of our ambitious growth strategy, and further steps are certain to follow this year. Through our commitment, we are also developing into an important economic contributor, particularly in northern Italy," said Jörg Lennertz, Chief Executive Officer of VORN Bioenergy.
Luca Belli, Chief Executive Officer of Enerfarm, described the partnership: "We are delighted to have found in VORN Bioenergy a strong and experienced industrial partner for the next phase of development. The transaction builds on the work carried out over the past years and provides a solid foundation for the long-term operation and further development of the plants. Together, we share the ambition of making biomethane an increasingly important contributor to the energy transition, whilst supporting local agriculture and the circular economy."
VORN Bioenergy has set a target to produce two terawatt-hours (TWh) of biomethane annually by 2030 whilst operating on an emission-free basis.
This acquisition positions the company within significant capacity growth needed to achieve those targets.
