13 August 2009

Global perspectives: DSM deals for biogas provider

By Cris Whetton

In the Netherlands, Royal DSM NV will acquire Berlin, Germany-based Biopract GmbH.

The acquisition of privately held Biopract will serve as an entry point for DSM into the promising biogas market, which is showing 15-20% growth per year. Founded in 1992, Biopract’s focus has been on the commercialization and extension of its Methaplus enzyme series for the improvement of agricultural and industrial biogas production.

“We are convinced that biotechnology will contribute significantly to the sustainable and efficient use of natural resources today and in the future,” said Rob van Leen, chief innovation officer of DSM. “We look forward to combining Biopract’s expertise with ours to further increase the efficiency and performance of biogas plants.”

Biopract’s activities will integrate into DSM’s biogas service concept for optimizing the biotechnology of biogas plants. Based on a thorough analysis of the production process, DSM offers agricultural and industrial biogas plants tailor-made advice and a product mix to improve the biotechnology process and to increase the performance of the plant.

Meanwhile, in Britain, Saria Bio-Industries, a German technology firm, and PDM Group, a British food waste collection firm, said they would create a venture called ReFood UK, Britain’s “most advanced and comprehensive food recycling network,” generating energy from food waste that would otherwise go to landfill. South Yorkshire-based PDM Group is already developing its first two MW plant at its headquarters in Doncaster, after securing planning consent in February. More ReFood UK plants are in development, with the companies stating a network of digesters will generate renewable energy from food waste collected from the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Four ReFood plants already operating in Germany currently generate power from food collected from 60,000 points across the country, using 14 logistics centers. Like the German network, the British version will also use collection points located across the country, supported by the network of anaerobic digestion plants.

Cris Whetton is InTech’s European correspondent.