KfW IPEX-Bank finances the world's largest biogas plant in north-eastern Germany

Frankfurt am Main (ots) - KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, jointly with NIBC
Bank N.V. and Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien, finances
the world's largest biogas upgrading plant. The plant is currently
under construction north of Güstrow in the north-eastern German state
of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. The loan documentation was signed on
Friday. The plant was designed by NAWARO BioEnergie AG, Leipzig. It
covers an area of 20 hectares, and from June 2010 onward will produce
46 million cubic metres of biogas in natural gas quality (BGNQ) every
year. Both its size and its output will make it the largest in the
world.

To finance the plant, funds totalling around EUR 122 million are
being provided through bank loans and by private investors via a fund
initiated by IGB AG. The bank loans of just under EUR 80 million were
structured by KfW IPEX-Bank. The funds are being granted by a banking
consortium comprising KfW IPEX-Bank, NIBC Bank N.V. from the
Netherlands and Austria's Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien.
KfW IPEX-Bank and NIBC Bank N.V., both acting as Mandated Lead
Arrangeres, each are providing 45% of the long-term financing.
Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien joins as Lead Arranger.
Promotional funds from the KfW Bankengruppe "Renewable Energies"
programme are also being provided to help finance the project.

Key components of the plant are being supplied by EnviTec Biogas
AG, Lohne, a market leader in the field of biogas. In a specially
developed process, the biogas produced in the plant from renewable
raw materials such as maize silage, grain and grass cuttings will be
upgraded to biomethane using a water scrubbing technique, and then
fed into the gas grid. The first delivery of gas to the grid is
planned for June 2009. From 2010 onward there are plans to feed an
annual 46 million cubic metres of biogas into the national gas grid.
This amount of biogas enables the generatation of around 160 GWh of
electricity and 180 GWh of useful heat per annum - enough to provide
a constant and complete supply of environmentally sound energy to a
city of up to 50,000.

By financing the plant, KfW IPEX-Bank is not only supporting a
landmark pilot project in the renewable energy sector, but is also
helping support the local farming community and create new jobs. At
the same time the local production of environmentally friendly energy
also helps diversify the gas supply in Germany. Financing renewable
energy projects is a permanent feature of KfW IPEX-Bank's portfolio,
and helps protect both the environment and the climate.

About KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH

Within KfW Bankengruppe KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH provides project and
corporate financing as well as trade and export financing
domestically and abroad. Worldwide it conducts all market activities
of KfW Bankengruppe that are carried out on commercial terms. KfW
IPEX-Bank GmbH has been operating as a legally independent subsidiary
since 1 January 2008 and contributes significantly to the promotional
mission of KfW Bankengruppe. It has approx. 490 employees (as of May
2009) and is represented in the key economic and financial centres
throughout the globe.

Originaltext: KfW-IPEX-Bank
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Pressekontakt:
KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, Palmengartenstraße 5-9, 60325 Frankfurt
Pressestelle: E-Mail: dela.strumpf@kfw.de
Tel. 069 7431-2984, Fax: 069 7431-9409, E-Mail:
info@kfw-ipex-bank.de, Internet: www.kfw-ipex-bank.de