The Swiss-Japanese cleantech company Hitachi Zosen Inova is expanding its expertise and footprint in the field of renewable gases, and will take over the business activities and entire workforce of Schmack Biogas Service GmbH and microbEnergy GmbH, both headquartered in Schwandorf, Bavaria, by the end of 2021. The agreement was signed with the current parent company Viessmann Group on 9 July 2021.

Hitachi Zosen Inova AG (HZI) has entered into an agreement with Viessmann Group to acquire the business activities of two entities of the Schmack Group (Schmack), Schmack Biogas Service GmbH and microbEnergy GmbH, on 9 July 2021. The final closing is expected after formal approval by the regulatory authorities. By this date, the business activities of the Schmack entities will be transferred to HZI and the entire workforce will become part of the HZI Group.

Schmack specialises in the engineering, construction, maintenance, technical services and operation of wet fermentation plants. In addition, the product and service portfolio includes retrofitting and modernising biogas plants, advisory services to biogas plant owners in the field of feed-stock solutions, and a power-to-gas process for biological methanation.

Established Brands Joining Forces
Schmack Biogas Service and microbEnergy are leading, well-established companies in the German biogas market. HZI will value this positioning and leverage it going forward to support the development of their products and services in the reference markets. With Schmack joining the group, the Swiss cleantech company HZI will considerably increase its presence in the biogas market. The addition of Schmack’s capabilities will enable HZI to match customer needs, whether industrial, municipal, agricultural or financial, across the entire value chain and for all possible feedstock. “We are extremely pleased to welcome Schmack’s employees to the group. They bring amazing expertise and know-how in the renewable gas business. What they have created over time is an excellent complement and extension to HZI’s existing offering, particularly in the field of wet fermentation,” says Bruno-Frédéric Baudouin, CEO of HZI. “This joining of teams will ensure that we can provide our markets and partners with an even broader range of integrated technologies and services in the future.”

Joachim Janssen, Co-CEO of Viessmann Group, also underscores the advantages of this acquisition: “We are very happy to have found a new owner in the global cleantech leader HZI. Thanks to the global network of HZI and its Japanese parent Hitachi Zosen Corporation, doors will open to new markets for Schmack’s products and services, while HZI will be able to open up new market segments with its expanded product and service portfolio.”

“With the sale of Schmack Biogas Service GmbH and microbEnergy GmbH, our colleagues have found a good new home. I’m convinced that together with our new shareholder Hiachi Zosen Inova we will continue to lead the two companies to new strength internationally,” says Manuel Götz, Managing Director of Schmack Biogas Service GmbH and microbEnergy GmbH.

Comprehensive Solutions Close to the Customer
In times when society is being decarbonised across the globe and circular economy is being put into practice, it is no longer sufficient to align plants only according to technical and financial requirements. What’s called for is integrated concepts minimising greenhouse gas production for the protection of the environment. In recent years, both HZI and Schmack have researched and developed new concepts furthering the energy and heat transition, decarbonisation and sector coupling. By combining this know-how, the HZI Group will be able to offer its customers even more sustainable holistic solutions for the future. The numerous service and engineering hubs in Europe, North America, Australia and the Middle East additionally enable direct and rapid customer support.

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Download image Schmack Headquarter “Headquarters of Schmack Biogas AG in Schwandorf, Germany”
Download image Schmack Headquarters with wet fermentation plant “Schmack wet fermentation plant adjacent to the headquarters of Schmack Biogas AG in Schwandorf, Germany”
Download image HZI Headquarters “Headquarters of Hitachi Zosen Inova in Zurich, Switzerland”