LMS Strategic Partnership
3 December 2021
Strategic Partnership: LMS Energy and Helmont Energy aim to transform Australia’s bioenergy sector
Leading bioenergy companies co-invest to accelerate Australia’s bioenergy transformation, creating carbon abatement and circular economy outcomes from agricultural feedstocks
LMS Energy (LMS) and Helmont Energy (Helmont) have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating Australia’s bioenergy transformation. As Australia’s leading bioenergy company, LMS’ 50% investment in Helmont, an emerging bioenergy business, will accelerate Helmont’s growth and enable continued focus on developing projects that use agricultural feedstocks to generate renewable energy and abate carbon emissions across the agricultural sector. The investment provides Helmont available capital to develop its portfolio of development projects, including energy-from-waste projects using anaerobic digestion and biomethane grid injection technology.
With the recent release of the Federal Government’s Bioenergy Roadmap identifying vast opportunities to create bioenergy from agricultural resources, and a shared commitment to sustainable energy production from bioenergy resources, this partnership leverages the collective resources and extensive expertise of two leading companies to develop projects across the expanding bioenergy industry.
Since its establishment in 2020, Helmont has been a key influencer in shaping this industry, including new policy that will support bioenergy that can decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors of the Australian economy. By converting millions of tonnes of organic agricultural waste generated each year into renewable energy, Helmont is able to reduce carbon emissions from the agricultural sector while creating value for farmers and agri-food businesses, which supports long term regional development.
“In the agricultural sector alone, more than 1000PJ p.a. of bioenergy resources are available. This represents more than 4 times the amount of bioenergy currently produced in Australia and the opportunities to turn this into renewable energy and contribute to the circular economy are only just emerging,” said Helmont’s Managing Director, Mark Jonker.
“This new partnership with LMS provides us with the opportunity to leverage their position as a leading bioenergy provider and Australia’s largest carbon abatement company to grow our business in build, own and operate projects in the agriculture sector and explore carbon abatement projects in the heavy transport, gas and mining sectors.”
LMS’ General Manager, Matthew Falzon, said that “the investment in Helmont recognised the emerging opportunities presented by agricultural feedstocks, enabling LMS to expand its leadershipin the bioenergy market and promote our commitment to a circular economy.”
“LMS has four decades of experience in bioenergy, owning and operating 50+ biogas facilities across Australia. Our decision to invest in Helmont evolved from a shared commitment to bioenergy innovation and carbon abatement, with both companies seeking to utilise organic resources to reduce emissions and power the circular economy. The LMS Team is thrilled with this investment, which will provide improved value to new and existing customers for both companies through our complementary capabilities” he said.
The partnership enables the companies to deliver on their long-term commitment to decarbonising the Australian economy and making a material contribution to Australia’s journey to net zero by 2050.
For more information please contact:
Helmont Energy
Mark Jonker
mark@helmontenergy.com
LMS Energy
Matthew Falzon
matthew.falzon@lms.com.au