ESG Circular Economy Deal – Vauban stake in Wijster, Netherlands

The acquisition by Vauban Infrastructure Partners of a majority stake in the Wijster companies was chosen by the judges to win the circular economy ESG award.

Vauban on 1 July 2024 – acting through its Vauban Core Infrastructure Fund IV – acquired from Green Create the stake in the Wijster companies: Green Create W2V Europe and Green Create Wijster.

Green Create, the vendor, is a leading developer and operator of integrated waste-to-value systems producing biogas from organic waste.

This marks Vauban’s first direct investment in the Netherlands and strengthens its presence in the European biomethane sector.

Located in Wijster, the anaerobic digestion plant has a current capacity of 237 GWh/year, with plans to expand to 554 GWh/year.

It primarily processes poultry manure from more than 100 local farmers under long-term contracts and includes a key offtake agreement with Shell Energy.

Supported by strong EU regulatory frameworks and rising demand for green gas, the investment aligns with Vauban’s energy transition roadmap, fostering sustainable growth through circular economy infrastructure and long-term partnership with Green Create, advancing EU energy transition goals.

This investment reinforces Vauban’s commitment to the energy transition and circular economy by enabling large-scale production of biomethane – a sustainable, storable, and sovereign energy source.

Vauban advances ESG outcomes through the plant’s use of poultry manure, a feedstock with a negative carbon intensity of about 100kg CO2/GJ, offering a strong alternative to fossil fuels.

The project also supports local agriculture via long-term contracts with nearby farmers, embedding social value in the supply chain.

Vauban’s investment aligns with national and EU decarbonisation goals, delivering significant environmental and community impact through cleaner energy and sustainable development.

The plant showcases an innovative ESG-driven approach, combining environmental impact with strong governance structures to support energy transition.

On the circular economy and waste valorisation front, the plant transforms some 150,000 tonnes of poultry manure annually into biomethane, electricity, and natural fertilizers – turning agricultural waste into valuable resources and reinforcing a circular economy model.

Beyond that, using poultry manure as feedstock enables greater emissions reductions compared to conventional inputs, strengthening the plant’s overall climate performance.

The project includes a 15-year offtake agreement with a major energy provider and benefits from a fully internalised operational team. ESG governance is further reinforced through the creation of a health and safety subcommittee and regular environmental audits.