Who are the shareholders in Genesis Biopartner, which has completed a EUR 5 million biogas cogeneration plant in Prahova County?

Genesis Biopartner is a holding that will own a portfolio of stations that we will build. Each station is an SPV and it will be exclusively controlled by the holding. The holding partners are Baupartner in Romania, with a 40 percent stake, and Vireo Energy Sweden, with 60 percent. The Baupartner Group, which is Romanian, has a yearly turnover of EUR 40 to 45 million, generated mainly in the construction field. We employ 250 people.

Is this the first renewable project for Baupartner Group?

This is the first completed project. We previously had two or three attempts but they didn’t materialize. They were in wind energy. We dropped them because of the legislation and I like biogas more. We would have made a similar investment in wind.

Why haven’t biogas projects gained ground in Romania?

In biogas there are below 5 or 10 MW of installed capacities. This business is a little more difficult than solar or wind, where you make an investment and it works on its own. It’s an operational business meaning you need to find the raw materials and carefully plan your operations, so I think that utility firms that have invested in wind have looked for easier projects.

The potential of biogas in Romania is very high. Annually, 5 billion tons of unused food is wasted, which can be used in biogas. The difficulty is collecting and managing it to be useful for biogas. It will definitely register a big growth rate in the years to come. In the next four years, we aim to complete ten similar projects.

About:
Haier Europe is part of Haier Smart Home, the number one group globally in home appliances and among the Fortune Global 500 Companies. Our role in the project was to translate the client’s wishes into reality, starting from the concept phase to the execution. Haier factory is 57,000 square meters built of which 4,600 square meters is the social and administrative area. It will employ nearly 800 people – at full capacity – for an expected production of 600,000 units after 2022. The Romanian plant will be a world-class facility featuring premium production processes brought by Haier’s advanced R&D, manufacturing capabilities and know-how. Its strategic central location, technology and efficiency will enhance Haier’s ability to serve customers in the region.