Precise analysis with 30 sqm of space to work in – all now available from the new Envitec Biogas lab that is due to open in France. “Our new facility will allow us to provide an even faster service to all of our customers in the fast-growing French market,” explains Clemens Willenborg, Manager Biological Service at EnviTec Service GmbH.
The investment in a company lab on the French office’s premises near Compiègne gives EnviTec’s customers access to efficient and – above all – time-saving analyses: the five-strong team of biologists and lab technicians can get initial results from a sample in just a few hours. Willenborg: “Time is an important aspect, because every hour of plant downtime results in lost revenue for our customers.” “This is why all of our after-service management activities are aimed at providing first-class support to our plant operators while keeping plant outages to a minimum,” explain Eric Villeminot (Commercial Manager) and Serge Druard (Technical Manager) at EnviTec’s French branch.
Strategic plans for a company-owned lab in France were hatched last year and decided on by the team. To date, staff at the French office had been sending samples in to EnviTec’s labs located in Germany or Italy. “Having added no fewer than 35 new biogas plants with gas upgrading to our customer base in just two years, our local lab now aims to offer even faster and more efficient support to the fast-expanding French market,” explains Christian Fürste, Area Manager – Service International.
“With the support offered by our new lab, the routine analysis of digester contents will allow our experts to check up on the digester, giving them advance warning of any positive or negative trends in operations. So we’ll know very early on about changes or developments in the digester’s biological status and have all the data at our fingertips as we advise our customers on the best course of action,” Willenborg continues. Following a pilot phase, EnviTec will be performing customer analyses at the new lab in France from September onwards.
Willenborg: “Many of our operators have yet to gain any experience with biogas and its upgrading to biomethane.” This is why providing advice and assistance with biological and technical services is very important – especially in the commissioning phase and the first few months afterwards. “Providing support to biogas plants is a constant mix of scientific lab analysis on the one hand and close collaboration between service partners and plant operators on the other,” comments Willenborg. “Plants with high daily throughputs naturally cause high losses of income when they aren’t running.” And this is where the prompt analysis of samples in the new lab will help operators to make the adjustments needed.
Our local company contacts:
EnviTec Biogas France SARL
Caroline d’Ales de Corbet and Eric Villeminot
2 Impasse du Pré Bernot, 60880 Le Meux, France
About EnviTec Biogas AG
EnviTec Biogas AG covers the entire value chain for the production of biogas, including the planning and turnkey construction of biogas plants and biogas upgrading plants as well as their commissioning. The company takes charge of biological and technical services on demand, and also offers operational management services. EnviTec operates 89 of its own plants, making it one of the largest biogas producers in Germany. EnviTec’s business interests also include the direct marketing of upgraded biomethane as well as the marketing of electricity and balancing energy. The company is represented in 16 countries worldwide by its own companies, sales offices, strategic partners and joint ventures. In 2021, the EnviTec Group generated revenue of EUR 262.4 million and EBT of EUR 23.3 million. The Group currently employs more than 550 people worldwide. EnviTec Biogas AG has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since July 2007.