Germany-headed independent biodiesel, ethanol, and biogas major VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergy AG (VERBIO) has revealed that it has acquired 100 percent of the shares in XiMo AG, a Switzerland-based based technology company that develops catalysts for the metathesis of organic compounds.
According to VERBIO, metathesis potentially offers the possibility to produce other chemical raw materials in the future on the basis of vegetable oil alongside biodiesel. In the medium term, the goal is to develop together with XiMo the necessary catalysts and the necessary process technology to open up new sales channels for vegetable oil methyl esters outside the biodiesel market.
Through this transaction, VERBIO says that it consolidates its position as a technology leader in the biodiesel segment and continues its strategy to diversify the product range outside the biofuels sector. The company is one of the leading independent producers and providers of biofuels and is at the same time the only large industrial producer of biodiesel, bioethanol, and biomethane in Europe.
Through its five operational subsidiaries – VERBIO Diesel Bitterfeld GmbH, VERBIO Diesel Schwedt GmbH, VERBIO Ethanol Schwedt GmbH & Co. KG, VERBIO Ethanol Zörbig GmbH & Co. KG and VERBIO Agrar GmbH – VERBIO’s current annual production capacity is at around 470 000 tonnes biodiesel, 260 000 tonnes bioethanol and 600 GWh biomethane.
In addition, VERBIO markets high-quality pharma glycerine, a by-product of biodiesel production for the consumer goods and cosmetics industry.
