German manufacturer WELTEC BIOPOWER, in partnership with French company AGRIPOWER France, is currently constructing a biogas plant for Elivia Group, France’s second-largest beef producer. The new biomethane facility will be located near Elivia’s main slaughterhouse in Le Lion-d‘Angers, in the western region of Pays de la Loire. Scheduled to begin operations in November 2025, the plant will feed renewable biomethane directly into the public gas grid.

Elivia, a major player in the French meat industry with 2,700 employees and an annual output of 152,000 tonnes of beef, is investing nearly €6 million into the project as part of its strategy to significantly reduce its carbon footprint. With this move, the industrial and commercial firm is positioning itself as a producer of renewable energy.

Biomethane plays an increasingly vital role in France’s energy decarbonization efforts. By 2030, the country aims to double the share of biomethane in its energy generation. Currently, 670 facilities supply 11 TWh of biomethane to the national gas grid, and discussions are ongoing to raise the 2030 production target from 22 TWh to 44 TWh. WELTEC BIOPOWER and AGRIPOWER France, partners for the past thirteen years, have already delivered 25 successful biogas projects across France in support of this goal.

The plant in Le Lion-d’Angers will use a mix of slaughterhouse waste, animal fats, sewage sludge, and other animal by-products to produce biogas. The facility will process up to 85 tonnes of raw material daily—equivalent to approximately 26,000 tonnes annually. The raw materials are first sanitized using residual heat from the slaughterhouse. From around 2.5 million normal cubic meters of biogas produced annually, approximately 1.7 million normal cubic meters of refined biomethane will be fed into the gas grid—enough to heat around 1,600 households each year.

Before fermentation, the substances are stored in a pre-storage tank. This, along with two containerized pump stations and stainless-steel fermenters, is supplied by WELTEC BIOPOWER. The two fermenters, each with a diameter of 26.87 meters, a height of 8.80 meters, and a capacity of 4,991 cubic meters, are equipped with agitators to ensure a homogeneous mix for the biogas production process. The fermentation residues are repurposed as high-quality industrial fertilizer for agriculture. The produced biogas is upgraded to biomethane using a membrane treatment process.

To ensure optimal synchronization and efficiency, the plant is managed using WELTEC BIOPOWER’s proprietary web-based control software, WELTEC CONTROL. This platform provides Elivia operators with real-time access to all key process data, enabling intuitive, remote monitoring and control. The system enhances transparency, operational safety, and workflow efficiency.

With this high-tech, user-friendly installation, Elivia is strengthening its commitment to innovation and sustainability across the entire value chain—from cattle maintenance and food safety to energy supply. The project represents a significant step forward in integrating renewable energy into the agri-food sector.