Romande Energie invests in biomass start-up Proxipel

The Romande Energie Group, which owns the Enerbois biomass plant in Rueyres (Vaud canton), Switzerland, has announced it is expanding in this field by investing in Proxipel - a start-up offering a solution producing pellets from biomass material.
Biomass is a useful source of clean energy for advancing the energy transition that is so vital for
The Enerbois plant in Rueyres produces 20,000 tonnes of pellets every year. Demand is currently higher because of energy market conditions.
The company said it is keen to partner with start-ups, and is acquiring a 4.5% interest in Proxipel, which is based in Le Vaud. Proxipel’s business model involves a mobile pellet-production unit that transforms green waste into pellets for heating as it moves from location to location. The pellet production unit, mounted on a truck trailer, can be used by municipalities and their forestry services, or directly by waste collection centres, provided that the wood has not been treated beforehand.
The firm added that the mobile production unit is already a success story, having won the innovation prize from thenRegion of Nyon. It is also attracting attention from outside Switzerland, with several countries expressing interest in using this same type of mobile unit on their territory.
“Romande Energie is aiming to make Western Switzerland the first net-zero region in the country through actions supporting all its stakeholders,” said Paolo Pizzolato, head of venture capital at Romande Energie. “By investing in this start-up, we want to help broaden Proxipel’s impact. Romande Energie is a specialist in renewable energies, including biomass, and is focusing on local sourcing. We salute the ingenuity and sustainability of this concept for our vital transition to cleaner energy.”
“We’re delighted we can count on the expertise and network of a company such as Romande Energie to help us develop our concept of a mobile pellet plant,” said Richard Pfister, co-founder and co-owner of Proxipel. “We believe that the recycling of woody residues into heat-generating pellets, locally and as needed, represents a huge opportunity. We’re glad to have Romande Energie alongside for this next stage of our development as a start-up.”