Axpo announced today its first investment in Poland and entry in Polish biogas market, acquiring a biogas plant in Western Pomerania that generates green energy primarily from agricultural waste. The company aims to develop additional biogas projects in Poland over the coming years, joining four other European countries where it has entered the biogas sector.
In October, Axpo purchased the plant from private shareholders. The facility, operational since late 2020 and located in Stare Ślepce, processes around 20,000 tonnes of agricultural substrates each year, predominantly agricultural waste. Without the plant’s anaerobic digestion process, this waste would release significant amounts of methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The plant produces approximately 6,640 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity annually, along with organic fertiliser known as ‘digestate,’ which boasts a zero-carbon footprint. The electricity generated is integrated into Axpo’s green energy portfolio, while the digestate is used by local farmers for fertilisation.
Expansion Plans in Poland
The Stare Ślepce plant marks Axpo’s first biogas facility in Poland, with plans for further development in the country as part of the Axpo Group’s strategy to supply green gas to European markets.
Véronique Abrate, Axpo Group Head of Biogas International, commented, “Renewable gas is crucial for decarbonising the agricultural sector and facilitating the energy transition. We look forward to advancing biogas projects in Poland, an emerging market where we have much to contribute.”
Grzegorz Biliński, Managing Director of Axpo Polska, noted, “We have primarily expanded in the Polish market through trading and selling power and gas to business customers. Owning our own biogas assets is a significant milestone and diversifies our energy portfolio. Poland, with its substantial agricultural sector, presents an attractive opportunity for projects that utilize agricultural waste to produce energy, addressing the urgent need for decarbonisation solutions.”
Expertise in Biogas Operations
Axpo brings extensive experience in operating biomass and biogas facilities. In Switzerland, it leads the industry in the dry fermentation of organic waste, managing 15 biogas plants that generate renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertilisers.
The company is also advancing biogas initiatives across Europe. In Spain, the Torre Santamaría dairy farm converts livestock manure into biomethane, currently injecting 26 gigawatt hours (GWh) of biomethane into the gas grid annually, with plans to quadruple production to 115 GWh.
This year, Axpo expanded into the Portuguese and Italian markets, launching a 15 GWh biomethane project in Portugal, set to be operational by the end of 2025. In September, it announced the start of construction on its first biomethane plant in Italy, expected to produce around 45 GWh of renewable energy annually, also slated for operation by the end of 2025.
