World's First Industrial-Scale Plant: Verbio Produces Specialty Chemicals from Biomass

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IMG Saxony-Anhalt 2026-11-06

The bioeconomy company Verbio, based in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, is pioneering green alternatives to fossil raw materials. Using biomass, it produces renewable chemicals for mobility, industry and agriculture. A world first is its industrial-scale plant, which applies Nobel Prize-winning technology to produce high-value renewable carbon compounds from rapeseed oil.

MAGDEBURG, Germany, Nov. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt (IMG Saxony-Anhalt) today highlighted a major milestone for the region's bioeconomy as Verbio commissioned the world's first industrial-scale ethenolysis plant. Verbio's history began 25 years ago with the opening of its first biodiesel production facility in Bitterfeld-Wolfen. Today, the company produces biodiesel, bioethanol and biomethane as alternatives to fossil fuels, while also using rapeseed oil to manufacture bio-based chemicals. Verbio is now one of Saxony-Anhalt's highest-revenue companies. It operates eight biorefinery plants across Europe, Asia and North America, employing around 1,400 people.

A Pioneer in Technology

In October 2026, Verbio commissioned the world's first industrial-scale ethenolysis plant based on rapeseed methyl ester at its site in the Bitterfeld-Wolfen Chemical Park. The process uses ethene and specialised catalysts to convert unsaturated hydrocarbons into new chemical compounds.

“About ten years ago, we realised that it was a waste to use the valuable molecules in rapeseed oil solely to produce fuel that is then burned. We found a technology that allows us to further process biodiesel into specialty chemicals for a wide range of applications,” explains company founder and CEO Claus Sauter.

Portrait of Claus Sauter, CEO of Verbio SE. © Verbio SE

Economic and Environmental Benefits

Verbio's development in Saxony-Anhalt began in 2001 with its first biodiesel plant in Bitterfeld. Bioethanol production followed in Zörbig in 2004. In 2014, the company launched its first plant producing biomethane exclusively from straw. Today, Verbio also supplies renewable fuels such as bio-LNG made from agricultural residues. Its network of company-owned and partner-operated bio-CNG and bio-LNG filling stations comprises 48 locations across Germany.

“Renewable fuels made from biomethane can replace fossil diesel in heavy-duty transport. Using locally sourced biomass also reduces dependence on global supply chains and price fluctuations,” says Sauter.

Chemical Building Blocks from Rapeseed Oil

The Bitterfeld biodiesel plant has developed into an integrated biorefinery, producing glycerine and phytosterols alongside biodiesel. The new ethenolysis facility adds another business area, with an expected annual production capacity of 60,000 tonnes of bio-based specialty chemicals. Customers can use these chemical building blocks to manufacture high-performance lubricants, detergents, cleaning products and bio-based plastics. Demand comes from Germany, Europe and international markets.

The technology is based on research honoured with the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Verbio subsidiary XiMo manufactures the specialised catalysts developed by Nobel laureate Richard R. Schrock, enabling the process to be applied economically on an industrial scale.

Verbio has invested almost €100 million in the project, which received funding through the Joint Federal Government/Länder Scheme for the Improvement of Regional Economic Structures (GRW). Around 50 new jobs have been created, bringing the site's future workforce to approximately 130 employees. “Our location offers key advantages: proximity to regional agriculture and an established industrial infrastructure,” says Sauter, reaffirming Verbio's long-term commitment to Saxony-Anhalt, where the company's journey began.

More Information: verbio.de

Bioeconomy company Verbio is located in the South of Saxony-Anhalt. Foto: IMG