Until recently, an important field of activity of the FRI-EL Group was the development, construction, operation and management of biogas plants.

To date, the FRI-EL Group has developed, built and purchased 25 biogas power plants (2 out of Fri-El Green Power perimeter) with a total capacity of approximately 24.50 MW. The Biogas Division was managed, developed and administered through the subsidiary FRI-EL Biogas Holding S.r.l.. This subsidiary of FRI-EL was thus the market leader in Italy in the production of biogas from agricultural origin. Recently, FRI-EL Biogas Holding S.r.l. was sold to Ecofuel S.p.A., subsidiary of ENI S.p.A., although FRI-EL Group continues to operate 3 plants in Italy itself.

Biogas is a mixture of various types of gas which are produced during the anaerobic fermentation process of organic material from agricultural origin. For the production of energy, products from the agricultural industry (mainly corn and sorghum), specifically plant parts that are not suitable for food production, were used for the most part.

• By using biogas, it is possible to save fossil fuels, thus keeping the carbon dioxide emissions within limits. The ratio between the produced carbon dioxide and the carbon dioxide which is absorbed by the plants is zero.

• Unlike other types of renewable energy such as wind or solar energy, biogas energy is available on demand. Thus, its production does not depend on external conditions such as the weather.

• When producing biogas, residues remain after fermentation. This so-called fermentation residue is an excellent fertilizer and is employed as such in agriculture.