VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG

Regulatory Filings • Sep 14, 2007

News Details

Corporate | 14 September 2007 12:28

VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG: Establishing a sustainable and competitive biofuel sector in Germany

VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG / Miscellaneous

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Zörbig/Schwedt, 14 September 2007 – VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG
(VERBIO) powered down production at its bioethanol plant in Schwedt as
planned this week. 'We are currently fully engaged in carrying out
intensive cleaning and maintenance work, from October it is likely that we
will apply for short-time working,' comments Klaus-Dieter Bettien, Managing
Director of NBE Nordbandenburger BioEnergie GmbH & Co. KG, a 100 per cent
subsidiary of VERBIO. 'If the market conditions and economic environment
improve we can power up the plant and have it operating at full capacity
within 72 hours,' adds Bettien.
Unsatisfactory demand, cheap imports from Brazil and high grain prices no
longer permit profitable production of bioethanol. 'We are simply taking
the logical course of action,' explains Claus Sauter, Chairman of the Board
of Management at VERBIO. 'If we source our raw materials locally, we need
to achieve higher prices for bioethanol. However, cheap imports mean that
this is not sustainable in the current market. There are alternative
strategies,' continued Sauter, 'but government has to have the political
will to implement them.' The options for establishing sustainable a
competitive biofuel sector in Germany could be increasing the blending
quota, placing limits on cheap imports or tax incentives for
environmentally friendly and CO2-efficient production of biofuels.
As an alternative to the existing production process, VERBIO is currently
looking into the possibility of refining raw alcohol sourced from other
suppliers to generate high-quality bioethanol. VERBIO continues to assume
that biofuels represent a growth market, in particular against the
background of the continuing debate about climate protection.

Contact
VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG Humboltstraße 18
04105 Leipzig
Germany
Sandra Haacker
Phone +49 (0) 341 30 85 30 63
Fax +49 (0) 341 30 85 30 99
Email sandra.haacker@verbio.de
Alexandra Muehr
P +49 (0) 341 30 85 30 85
F +49 (0) 341 30 85 30 99
Email alexandra.muehr@verbio.de

www.verbio.de

Information on VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG
The VERBIO Group is one of the leading producers and suppliers of biofuels
and also the only industrial-scale producer of biodiesel and bioethanol in
Europe. Nominal capacity currently amounts to around 400,000 tons of
biodiesel and 300,000 tons of bioethanol per year. The company has
developed its own processes and innovative technologies for the production
of biodiesel and bioethanol. It supplies its products directly to European
mineral oil corporations, mineral oil traders, independent fuel stations
and haulage companies. VERBIO AG also markets high-quality pharmaglycerin
for the consumer goods and cosmetic industries (glycerin is a by-product of
biodiesel production). Within the Group, VERBIO AG acts as the management
holding company. The Group’s operating business is run by its subsidiaries:
MUW Mitteldeutsche UmesterungsWerke, NUW Nordbrandenburger
UmesterungsWerke, MBE Mitteldeutsche BioEnergie, NBE Nordbrandenburger
BioEnergie and SBE Swiss BioEnergy. In 2006 VERBIO generated revenues of
446.2 million EUR. Around 300 employees are working for VERBIO.
14.09.2007 Financial News transmitted by DGAP

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Language: English
Issuer: VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG
Humboldtstraße 18
04105 Leipzig
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)341 30 85 30 90
Fax: +49 (0)341 30 85 30 99
E-mail: pr@verbio.de
Internet: www.verbio.de
ISIN: DE000A0JL9W6
WKN: A0JL9W
Listed: Amtlicher Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in
Berlin, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, München

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