Methanol Plant Takeover to Bring Bio-methanol Production to Delfzijl

UTRECHT, The Netherlands, November 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The new owner of the methanol plant in Delfzijl is BioMethanol Chemie Holding (BV), a consortium of Econcern, NOM, OakInvest, Ir. S. Doorn and Ir. P. Hamm. After modification, the plant will be used to produce bio-methanol.

Rapid growth in biofuels market

BioMethanol Chemie Holding should help meet the European Directive requiring that biofuel accounts for 5.75% of total transport fuel by 2010 - a share that currently lies at less than 2%.

Ad van Wijk, CEO of Econcern, elucidates: "The market for biofuels is growing fast, not only because of the need to meet the European Directive, but also due to high oil and gas prices. We are very pleased that the plant will make a substantial contribution to the growing biofuels market."

BioMethanol Chemie Holding

Paul Hamm, co-initiator of the consortium and temporary CEO of BioMethanol Chemie Holding: "The plant will be started up as soon as possible, initially producing fossil methanol as before. Modifications will be carried out over the next nine months, turning the plant into the world's first bio-methanol plant. In the first phase, it will produce 100 kT bio-methanol, a capacity that will be increased substantially in the following phases."

Ed van de Beek, executive vice president of NOM, states, "I'm very happy with the re-opening of the plant. It's not just that an important chemical industry will be kept in the Netherlands - the production of bio-methanol also represents a major contribution to build up a renewable industry in northern Netherlands, known as the 'Energy Valley'concept."

Note for Editorial Staff:

Econcern (www.econcern.com)

Econcern is the holding company of Ecofys, Evelop, Ecostream and Ecoventures. The mission of these European companies is to ensure 'a sustainable energy supply for everyone'. Econcern delivers unique projects and innovative products and services for a sustainable energy supply. The Econcern group employs about 450 professionals in thirteen countries. Econcern and is one of Europe's 500 fastest growing companies.

N.V. NOM

NOM provides risk-bearing finance and participates in companies based in the northern Netherlands. As well as offering support with investments, subsidies and choice of location, it promotes investments in the northern Netherlands, and initiates projects intended to strengthen the competitiveness of regional businesses. It has invested over EUR90 million in approximately 130 enterprises launched (or due to be launched) in the northern Dutch provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe.

OakInvest

Working in collaboration with Praxis, a leading multi-client family office in Belgium (www.praxisnv.be), OakInvest manages the private equity activities of some major industrial families based in the Benelux. In its investment strategy it acts as a knowledgeable financial partner across industries and types of investment. By preference it invests alongside other private equity and/or industrial players that demonstrate a strong vision on creating value within their respective key markets.

Ir. Sieb Doorn

Sieb Doorn started his career at Akzo (now Akzo Nobel) in 1970, holding several research and development posts. In 1974 and 1978 he was also a member of the Akzo teams which started up methanol production. After retiring from Akzo Nobel, where he last served as technology manager at Twaron Products, he launched his own firm, Wendelin BV. Acting for third parties, this specialises in synthetics, research and development in chemicals and the agricultural sector. It also specialises in the production and export of tulip bulbs, a pastime that has developed into a business in its own right.

Ir. Paul L.A. Hamm

Paul Hamm, who graduated from Delft Technical University as a chemical engineer, started his career in the pulp and paper industry in 1972. In 1977 he became owner-operator of a small engineering firm which, over a 20-year period, he developed into an international company. In 1997 he joined DSM and was appointed business group director. In this capacity he was responsible for a wide array of businesses, and also represented DSM as a board member of Methanor, a VOF company in which DSM was one of the three partners. In 2004 he left DSM to recommence industrial activities as an investor but also as a consultant. In such a capacity, he was president of the Dutch Energy Transition Platform for Green Feedstock, a platform initiated by the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs.

For more information please contact: Ir. Paul Hamm, Initiator, co-investor and interim CEO, T: +31(0)6-420-38-273, E: phamm@pandora.be; Drs. Marlon Mintjes, Marketing Communication Consultant, T: +31(0)30-280-83-11, E: m.mintjes@econcern.com; Joris de Meester, Managing director OakInvest, T: +32(0)475-76-52-77, E: Joris.de.Meester@OakInvest.eu; E.C. (Ed) van de Beek, Acting director N.V. NOM, Head of department for stimulation of investments and development & innovation, T: +31(0)50-521-4415, E: vandebeek@nom.nl