Northwest Jutland farmers are now taking matters into their own hands and buying the Maabjerg Energy Center biogas plant. A right of first refusal is used by 135 farmers.
The supplier association behind Måbjerg Biogas chooses to invest in the ownership – and the local development opportunities are important. At a general meeting on Monday evening, it was voted with full support to exercise the pre-emption right and thus the ownership of Måbjerg Energy Center’s biogas plant.
“I am very pleased to announce that Måbjerg Biogas Leverandørforening has succeeded in exercising the right of first refusal on the purchase of Måbjerg Biogas. In collaboration with Skovgaard Energy as a financing partner, the supplier association has succeeded in raising the capital for the acquisition of Måbjerg Biogas, as well as significantly expanding the supplier association’s ownership of the plant,” says Jørgen Tørnæs, chairman of Måbjerg Biogas Leverandørforening, which consists of 135 farmers in Northwest Jutland.
“The Danish Suppliers’ Association looks forward to developing the biogas plant and we fundamentally believe that farmers have a large and significant role to play in the green transition in Denmark,” says Jørgen Tørnæs, Chairman of the Danish Suppliers’ Association.
A natural consequence of this is that farmers are now taking more ownership themselves,” explains the chairman.
Local development and collaboration
In the short term, the chairman of the supplier association is pleased that it will finally be possible to expand the biogas plant with an upgrading plant that allows the biogas to be sent out to the gas grid, which increases the sales opportunities and not least the price of the gas. Just as it will now be possible to sell green certificates, which, all other things being equal, will have a knock-on effect on the price of the farmer’s biomass delivered to the plant.
Jørgen Tørnæs would like to thank Skovgaard Energy for showing interest in and courage to get this agreement in place together with the Danish Suppliers’ Association. Local development requires good local partners.
“Skovgaard Energy’s approach and way of working with the potential of the green transition is the perfect match for our journey ahead. A journey that creates local green jobs and where climate-friendly agriculture plays a significant role in the development,” says Jørgen Tørnæs.
Skovgaard Energy, based in Northwest Jutland and building the world’s first dynamic ammonia plant in Lemvig, planning hydrogen production in Idomlund and investing in large-scale ammonia production and processing at the Port of Thyborøn, is ready to invest in bioenergy as well. With the new agreement, Skovgaard Energy expects to contribute to creating both growth and local jobs.
“Skovgaard Energy has a fundamental belief that bioenergy projects should be anchored locally and at the same time be an important focal point for the development of agriculture and the local area,” explains CEO Niels Erik Madsen from Skovgaard Energy.
The CEO looks forward to working with the supplier association and the talented local farmers.
The biomass will be part of the local value chains in Northwest Jutland and create new jobs and development.
Praise from farming association
The local farmers’ initiative, helped by Skovgaard Energy, is praised by the local farmers’ association.
“This is a brilliant example of how we local farmers believe in the future development of food production in Northwest Jutland, while at the same time taking responsibility for the green transition through significant ownership of Maabjerg Biogas,” says Chairman Kristian Gade from Struer-Holstebro Landboforening.
The fact that this is done in close collaboration in a strong local partnership that prioritizes development in the local area is unique, according to the chairman.
The parties do not initially disclose investment sums.