Global investment manager Schroders’ renewable infrastructure investment unit Schroders Greencoat announced the acquisition of biomethane platform APF Energy from SWEN Capital Partners and APF BV.
Biomethane, or renewable natural gas (RNG), is expected to play a critical role in the transition to cleaner energy sources, particularly for sectors in which energy solutions such as wind or solar are less practical. Biomethane is produced from organic waste, such as agricultural, industrial, and household wastes, and is chemically identical to fossil-based natural gas, enabling it to support the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors such as road transport and heavy industry, without needing to replace existing transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Based in the Netherlands, APF Energy produces biomethane from agricultural manure and food co-products. The platform currently comprises six assets, including three fully operational sites and three under construction, as well as a late-stage pipeline. The assets generate biomethane from a feedstock mix of agriculture manure and food by-products, which also helps to address nitrate challenges associated with the Netherlands’ livestock industry, the company said.
According to Schroders, the Netherlands represents an attractive market for biomethane development due to its large agricultural feedstock base and as one of Europe’s most extensive gas distribution networks, with biomethane serving as a direct substitute for natural gas within existing grid infrastructure, helping reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports while supporting regional energy security across the region.
Minal Patel, Global Head of Infrastructure at Schroders Capital said:
“Biomethane has an increasingly important role to play in the European energy transition, particularly in sectors where other low-carbon solutions are less readily available. The Netherlands is one of the more advanced markets due to its mature regulatory framework, strong policy support for renewable gas and well-established infrastructure.”
The transaction marks the first exit from SWEN’s Impact Fund for Transition 2, marking the strategy’s first exit.
François Pasquier, Managing Director and Grégoire Allemandou, Principal at SWEN CP said:
“Schroders Greencoat’s deep expertise in bioenergy and energy transition infrastructure makes them the great partner to take the platform to its next stage of growth. We are also particularly pleased that this transaction marks the first exit from our second vintage, SWEN Impact Fund for transition 2 (SWIFT 2), reflecting our strategy of backing high-quality platforms in the renewable molecules sector.”
