DGAP-News: VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG: sees great growth potential in biogas. High level of investments planned until 2015. 05.10.2011 / 07:32 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Zörbig/Leipzig, October 5th, 2011 - VERBIO is making significant progress, not only in the production of biogas but also in biogas marketing. Almost every week, new customers are gained and queries received from local authorities and companies interested in changing their existing natural gas fuelling stations to verbiogas. The decisive factors in their decision to use verbiogas are the similarity between verbiogas and natural gas prices, the sustainable production and environmental friendliness of verbiogas, which have been verified with corresponding certifications. In addition to the production of biogas, biogas marketing in the transport sector has become one of VERBIO's targets due to the constantly increasing demand. In addition to the expansion of the existing biogas plants in Schwedt to 80 MW and Zörbig to 50 MW, there are also concrete plans to create an additional biogas factory with a capacity of 25 MW in Hungary. The first few members of staff have already been appointed for the project in Hungary, raw materials have been contractually secured and various official processes have been implemented. The verbiogas produced at the location in Pápa is to be conditioned at natural gas quality and fed into the local natural gas grid. Overall, the Hungarian project involves investments of approx. EUR 40 million. In addition, plants of 25 MW each in both Eastern Germany and Bulgaria are to be developed. The only raw materials used for the new projects will be crop straw, slurry, manure and chicken droppings. Overall, growth potential for the production of biogas from residual materials is particularly formidable in Eastern Europe, as there are barely any alternatives for the use of residual materials here. Without additional use of space and without displacement effects, it will therefore be possible to significantly increase our bio energy production and make a significant contribution to the energy turnaround in Europe. 'I anticipate investments in the mid single-figure billion range for new, industrial biogas factories in Eastern Europe by 2015. These investments would not be used to build small factories like those in Germany, but cost-efficient and modern large factories - we are looking into this. In Germany, it may also be the case that biogas produced from residual materials could replace nuclear power, which would not be an utopia, but simply the best ecological and economic alternative.' explains Claus Sauter, CEO of VERBIO AG. To finance the current and future biogas projects, VERBIO is considering, among other things, the option of negotiating a bond loan, whereby a prerequisite would be that the financial markets signal their willingness to issue corporate bonds in the coming months. About VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG (VERBIO) VERBIO is one of the leading independent producers and suppliers of biofuels and also the only industrial-scale producer of biodiesel, bioethanol and biogas in Europe. Nominal capacity currently amounts to around 450,000 tons of biodiesel, 300,000 tons of bioethanol and 500 gigawatt hours of biogas per year. In the production of its highly efficient fuels, the company uses its own energy-saving production processes and innovative technologies. The biofuels produced by VERBIO achieve CO2 reductions of up to 90% compared with petrol and diesel. VERBIO supplies its products directly to European mineral oil corporations, mineral oil traders, independent petrol stations, haulage companies, public utilities and vehicle fleets. VERBIO AG also markets high-quality pharma glycerine for the consumer goods and cosmetic industries (glycerine is a by-product of biodiesel production). VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG acts as the management holding company within the Group. The Group's operating business is run by its subsidiaries VERBIO Diesel Bitterfeld GmbH & Co. KG, VERBIO Diesel Schwedt GmbH & Co. KG, VERBIO Ethanol Schwedt GmbH & Co. KG, VERBIO Ethanol Zörbig GmbH & Co. KG and Märka GmbH. VERBIO shares (ISIN DE000A0JL9W6 / WKN A0JL9W) have been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since October 2006. Important note This corporate news contains forward-looking statements, which are based on assumptions and estimates of the company management of VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG. Even though the company management believes that these assumptions and estimates are correct, the actual future development and actual future results can deviate substantially from these assumptions and estimates due to many factors. For example, these factors can include alteration of the economic situation, legal and regulatory constraints in Germany and the EU, and changes in the industry. VERBIO assumes no liability and provides no warranty that future developments and actual future results will agree with the assumptions and estimates expressed in this corporate news. End of Corporate News --------------------------------------------------------------------- 05.10.2011 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG Augustusplatz 9 04109 Leipzig Germany Phone: +49 (0)341 30 85 30 90 Fax: +49 (0)341 30 85 30 98 E-mail: ir@verbio.de Internet: www.verbio.de ISIN: DE000A0JL9W6 WKN: A0JL9W Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, München, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service --------------------------------------------------------------------- 141269 05.10.2011
DGAP-News: VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG: sees great growth potential in biogas. High level of investments planned until 2015.
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