NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Green Rock Energy Partners LLC ("Green Rock" or "the Firm"), a sustainable infrastructure focused private equity firm which invests in renewable energy companies and projects, acquired a stake in Bio Town Biogas LLC (“Bio Town”), a producer of renewable power that is expanding into renewable natural gas, in partnership with Bio Town Ag (“BTA”) and lenders. Green Rock’s announcement of the partial acquisition, which closed in Q3 2021, is the firm’s first investment announcement.
In keeping with Green Rock’s primary investment focus on waste-to-value energy assets, Bio Town sources food waste, dairy manure, beef manure, and other agriculture waste to produce renewable electricity, renewable heat, and renewable natural gas. The project, located in Reynolds, Indiana, is expected to produce more than 42 million kilowatt-hours of renewable power per year, while also producing more than three million gallons of renewable fuel per year. Northern Indiana Public Service Company (“NIPSCO”) will provide the renewable power offtake, while United Energy Trading and others will provide the renewable natural gas offtake.
“We are excited to work with our partners at BTA to build one of the largest and most economically efficient projects in the renewable natural gas and renewable power space” said Andrew Kelleher, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Green Rock, which officially launched on April 13.
The Bio Town facility supports more than 50 full-time jobs. Previously, Bio Town’s renewable power assets were owned fully by BTA, a multi-generational family farm that has been a sustainability leader in the agricultural community for decades and continues to push for innovative ways to utilize different waste streams. BTA spun off the power business to Bio Town in order to jointly partner with Green Rock and expand its renewable natural gas business.
A variety of partners supported Green Rock and BTA in the Bio Town deal. DVO, Inc. and Clarke Energy will provide the digester, biogas CHP engines and biogas upgrading technology and local service support. Montrose Environmental and Venture Engineering & Construction provided engineering services. First Farmers Bank and Trust led the debt financing, and Gutwein Law acted as the legal advisor to Bio Town.
Green Rock, led by five seasoned veterans of the traditional commodities sector now investing in carbon-neutral solutions, deploys equity capital within the circular economy to develop, purchase, and operate environmentally responsible and financially attractive businesses and infrastructure. The firm’s leaders leverage their experience and expertise as advisors, owners, and operators to source, structure, and negotiate opportunities to create superior risk-adjusted returns in the renewable energy sector.
“We are thrilled to partner with the talented team at Green Rock on Bio Town,” said Brian Furrer, President of BTA. “The team’s commodities expertise and professional network plays a crucial role in the successful growth of our power business and our expansion into the renewable natural gas business.”
“We would like to thank the BTA team and all of the vendors for their hard work and tireless efforts,” added Chad Hoerr, General Manager of Bio Town.
“We are extremely appreciative of the hard work and dedication of the BTA team, which played a key role in the spin out of Bio Town, and we will continue to contribute to the successful elevation and expansion of the company,” added Martin Mitchell, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Green Rock.
About Green Rock Energy Partners
Green Rock Energy Partners LLC is a sustainable infrastructure focused private equity firm which invests in renewable energy companies and projects. Green Rock’s investments primarily target waste-to-value energy assets within the circular economy, which play a critical role in the ongoing energy transition to a low-carbon future. The firm deploys equity capital within the circular economy to develop, purchase, and operate environmentally responsible and financially attractive businesses and infrastructure. The projects that Green Rock targets for investment produce renewable natural gas, renewable diesel, renewable fertilizer, and other similar products. The firm was founded by a team of commodities executives who source, structure, and negotiate opportunities to build successful businesses using their expertise as owners and operators.
For more information, please visit www.greenrockep.com.
