Ardian Infrastructure wants to disinvest from the Apulia-based Agritre biomass plant. Il Sole 24 Ore wrote, adding that the advisor for the deal is Rothschild. The plant could be worth 100 million euros. The plant was built in 2014 and is owned by Agritre Energia, in turn 52% owned by Ardian, via Tre Solar, and 48% by the Tozzi group.
Ardian Infrastructure in February 2017 bought 35% of Tre Solar from Tozzi Green, thus becoming the sole shareholder of the renewable energy platform created in 2011 in a joint venture with Tozzi Green, EPC and O&M contractor of plants from renewable energy sources, part of the group Tozzi, which designs, produces and sells medium voltage electrical equipment, electrical panels and prefabricated mobile cabins in medium and low voltage (see here a previous post by BeBeez). With that deal Ardian had acquired full control of the assets in the portfolio of Tre Sola in the solar, wind and hydroelectric sectors, while the biomass plant (25 MW), managed by Agritre and acquired by Tre Solar in October 2014, remained under the joint control of Ardian and Tozzi.
The Agritre plant is located in Sant’Agata di Puglia, in the province of Foggia. It is fed exclusively from solid biomass of vegetable origin. The plant annually withdraws and transforms around 150,000 tons of cereal straw, mainly of durum wheat but also of barley and oats, produced for the most part in Capitanata as well as in some neighboring areas of Basilicata, in particular in the Potentine areas of the Lower Melfese and of the Alto Bradano. It has an electrical power of 25.2 megawatts, a production of 184 thousand MWh of electricity per year and feeds the homes of 46 thousand families.
Rumors are that Linea Group Holding is examining the Agritre dossier, but other financial and industrial groups active in the biomass sector may also be interested. Headquartered in Cremona, Linea Group Holding was born out of the strategic alliance of 5 companies, from which it is held: A2A (around 51%, present in the capital since August 2016), Aem Cremona (15.15%), Cogeme (which it brings together the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo with 15.15%), Asm Pavia (7.80%), Astem (6.47%), Scs (4.43%). Lgh also manages waste, especially in Northern Italy, even if it holds plants also in Bari, Taranto and Syracuse.
