New market, new potential: First BTS Biogas installation for France
For some months now, the biogas pioneer BTS Biogas has been operating on the French market with its own subsidiary. The first installation in France is now under construction by the company, which continues to pursue a consistent policy of internationalization.
With BTS Biogas now well established as the market leader on its domestic Italian market, the company is moving into more and more foreign markets. That includes France, a country in which industry insiders see the dawning of a golden age for biogas: “The reason for the predicted boom in France is above all the improved feed-in tariff there. That will primarily benefit agricultural biogas plants. Increases have also been made to subsidies for operations involving the fermentation of organic wastes and residues from the agro-industry. In France, this attractive scenario is combined with one of the biggest volumes of available biomass in Europe,” explains Michael Niederbacher, General Manager of BTS Biogas.
It is therefore generally agreed that, with BTS Biogas, France is set to develop into a key market in Europe in the field of alternative energies and especially biogas: “We are well prepared; we have our own subsidiary in place with its headquarters in Lyon.” The people there are currently responsible for the construction of the first plant in France, which BTS Biogas is building for a cattle farm in Nantes. “We are installing a biogas plant with a rated capacity of 190 kW, which will mainly be fed with liquid manure and cow dung.” According to Roberto Salmaso, Managing Director of the French subsidiary, it is above all the market for such compact plants that holds promise of exciting rates of growth there. Apart from the construction works and engineering, BTS Biogas also focuses on plant optimization and technical and biological support.
In addition to France, BTS Biogas, which is headquartered in Brunico (South Tyrol), has subsidiaries in the UK, Germany and Japan and shareholdings in biogas companies in the Far East and worldwide. That is further proof of the company’s international orientation, which offers protection against fluctuations on individual markets and ensures long-term growth.
