Hitachi Zosen Inova
Swiss clean tech firm Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI) is a key player in the waste management sector providing energy from waste (EfW) technologies for over 85 years. It started as L. von Roll Bamag Aktiengesellschaft (Von Roll) in 1933 with a focus on thermal waste treatment. In the 1960s the company expanded, opening offices in Germany, Japan, France and Sweden and a location was established in the U.S. in 1975. After an acquisition in 2010, the company was sold to Hitachi Zosen Corporation forming the current HZI. The strategic acquisition in 2010 allowed the company to grow its offering of EfW technologies adding to the already mature combustion technology.
HZI attained a trifecta of EfW technologies after a series of acquisitions starting in 2014 which includes: Kompogas® high solids plug-flow anaerobic digestion technology, BioMethan membrane and amine biogas upgrading, and EtoGas power to gas (P2G) electrolysis and methanation technology.
In 2018 HZI created Hitachi Zosen Inova Canada LTD. to respond to growth in the Canadian market. Ricardo Hamdan, Canadian Sales Manager, is the point person in Canada and shares that “Canada has become an important strategic market for HZI in combination with the U.S. We have had great success penetrating the market with our first references in AD and biogas upgrading in Canada and California. We also have been in active conversations to establish our first power to gas project in North America.” HZI currently has an upgrading project in London, Ontario that will come into operation Fall 2019 and several other Canadian projects in various stages of development.
HZI stands out as a versatile company that provides all the resources needed for successful biogas and renewable natural gas (RNG) projects. HZI offers a flexible suite of services such as financing, design, supply, engineering, construction and operation. For example, HZI financed, designed, built, owns and operates the 36,500 tonnes per year San Luis Obispo Food and Green Waste AD project in northern California which demonstrates their robust high-solids AD systems that captures more municipal organics by processing leaf and yard waste.
Reflecting on his 12 years experience in the biogas industry, Hamdan feels “This is the best point we’ve been at in the industry with natural gas utilities offering RNG programs that support project development. In addition, we can see more and more communities moving towards landfill organics bans that will spur more development in the sector.”
HZI joined the Canadian Biogas Association (CBA) in March 2017. They felt that Canada is an important market and CBA provides the axis and opportunity to connect with other leaders in the industry.
