Verbio plans expansion at US biorefinery after land purchase: report

23 Jan 2024

Quantum Commodity Intelligence – German biofuel producer Verbio plans to expand its US biorefinery after plans to buy up land adjacent to the plant were approved by local authorities earlier this month, according to a local media report.

Verbio purchased 74 acres of land south of its facility in Nevada, Iowa, which produces renewable natural gas and ethanol from agricultural residues.

Verbio Agricultural Relations and Administrative Manager Holly Schnur said the land was bought with plans to expand the biorefinery and energy production, reported the Ames Tribune.

A spokesperson from Verbio Germany confirmed the land purchase but declined to comment on any future plans.

Verbio began production of RNG at its Iowa plant in December 2021 and reached a production capacity of 60 million gallons of corn-based ethanol and an additional 19 million of RNG by 2023.

Verbio, which operates four plants in Germany and others at locations in the US, India, Canada, Poland and Hungary, said previously it wanted to diversify outside of Europe amid dissatisfaction with European policy support for the long-term future of biofuels.

Last May, it bought an ethanol plant in South Bend, Indiana from trader Mercuria.

The company previously reported weaker profits for its first quarter were partly due to its start-up and optimisation costs at its growth projects in the US. 

Verbio formed its US subsidiary in 2018 and has developed three biorefineries across the US and Canada.