Leipzig, September 25, 2025 – With 1.2 million tonnes of biodiesel and bioethanol, Verbio once again achieved a record in the financial year 2024/25. The production of biomethane was also at a new record level, totalling 1.190 GWh. The higher capacity utilisation for bioethanol and biomethane was primarily due to the plant in Nevada, where production has risen continuously since the beginning of the year. The CO₂ savings potential generated by manufactured and traded products increased by 1.1 million tonnes to 5.5 million tonnes (2023/24: 4.4 million tonnes).

Group revenue in the financial year 2024/25 totalled EUR 1,579.8 million, slightly lower than the sales revenue generated in the previous year (EUR 1,658.0 million). EBITDA fell significantly to EUR 14.2 million (2023/24: EUR 121.6 million). The declining trend is due in particular to lower profit margins for bioethanol and biomethane mainly as a result of declining GHG premiums and, in addition, due to write-downs on inventories. Due to the poor market situation for bioethanol in North America, EBITDA in Verbio’s North American Bioethanol/Biomethane operations was at the same level as in the previous year despite higher ethanol and biomethane production volumes. One-off repair costs in Nevada and write-downs on the remaining quantities of straw for processing into biomethane had an additional negative impact on earnings.

The Group operating result (EBIT) totalled EUR -118.2 million, also significantly lower than in the comparative period in the previous year (EUR 69.6 million). Higher depreciation and amortisation primarily related to the impairment write-down recognised on the straw biomethane plant in Nevada. The net result for the period amounted to EUR -137.9 million (2023/24: EUR 20.1 million).

Operating cash flows remained positive, but fell from EUR 116.8 million in the previous year to EUR 13.9 million, primarily due to the weaker result. Verbio invested EUR 125.0 million in the reporting period after EUR 179.5 million in 2023/24. The decline from the investment peak in 2022/23 is in line with plan. Investments were made in particular in capacity expansions, the expansion of the filling station infrastructure and the development of production capacities for speciality chemicals in Germany as well as the expansion of Verbio’s production plants in the USA. 

Net financial debt of EUR 164.0 million as at June 30, 2025 was within the forecast range despite the decline in earnings (net financial debt as at June 30, 2024: EUR 32.9 million). The equity ratio was 58.2 percent (June 30, 2024: 67.4 percent).

Q4 2024/25 influenced by difficult market conditions and non-recurring effects

In the fourth quarter of the financial year 2024/25 Verbio generated revenues of EUR 433.4 million (Q4 2023/24: EUR 339.9 million) and an EBITDA of EUR -8.2 million (Q4 2023/24: EUR 39.5 million). Earnings also deteriorated on a quarter-to-quarter basis from EUR 8.2 million in Q3 2024/25, primarily affected by the Bioethanol/Biomethane segment with offsetting effects from the Biodiesel segment.

In the Biodiesel segment, with production and sales volumes up on the previous quarter, Verbio generated revenue of EUR 244.4 million (Q3 2024/25: EUR 210.3 million). A key factor in the increased volumes and revenue was the resumption of production in Canada, which had been temporarily suspended between December and March as planned due to challenging margins resulting from US regulatory changes. EBITDA also improved significantly by almost 24 percent to EUR 20.8 million after EUR 16.8 million in the third quarter of 2024/25. In addition to the positive EBITDA trend in North America, the improved gross margin in Europe also contributed to the result. 

In the Bioethanol/Biomethane segment, the worldwide decline in ethanol prices compared with the previous quarter was more than offset by higher volumes of GHG quota sales with rising GHG quota prices and significantly higher production and sales volumes in North America. As a result, Verbio generated revenues of EUR 186.1 million in Q4 2024/25 after EUR 181.5 million in the third quarter of the financial year 2024/25. Nevertheless, EBITDA deteriorated significantly from EUR -14.0 million to EUR -26.3 million. This is due to lower profit margins in Europe as well as one-off effects in the fourth quarter of the financial year 2024/25.

The Other segment, which includes Verbio’s logistics and trading activities, reported an EBITDA of EUR -2.7 million (Q3 2024/25: EUR 5.4 million).

Milestones for resilience and growth: Plant in Nevada on track

Following initial setbacks, the combined ethanol and biomethane plant in Nevada was successfully brought online during the financial year and is developing as planned into a key part of the internationalisation strategy. Temporarily, capacity utilisation of around 80 percent has already been achieved, which is to be stabilised and expanded by the end of the financial year. At the same time, efficiency measures were implemented in the financial year 2024/25 in order to make a sustainable improvement in competitiveness. The strategic expansion of the product range, in particular through ethenolysis technology for the production of renewable chemicals, will also lay the foundations for better absorbing future market volatility.

Outlook: Significant EBITDA recovery expected in FY 2025/26

The positive developments in both the USA and Europe form the basis for earnings in the financial year 2025/26: In Europe, and particularly in Germany, we expect the biofuels market to further normalise as a result of stricter regulation. In North America it is expected that the ramp-up of the plant in Nevada, in particular, will have a clearly positive effect compared to the previous year. We also expect the market situation to improve as a result of further efforts by the US government to revitalise global export conditions for US ethanol together with overall higher global demand. 

The Management Board expects to achieve EBITDA in the high double-digit million range in the financial year 2025/26, and thus significantly above the previous year. The board bases this on historical market spreads that are below the spreads achieved in the financial year 2024/25, while it expects GHG quota prices to recover compared to the previous year. The improved result and lower investments are expected to lead to a moderate reduction in net financial debt compared with the previous year. In view of the time lags between cash outflows and cash inflows it is anticipated that net financial debt will exceed the amount forecast for the reporting date during the course of the financial year.

This also reflects the fact that an amount in the EUR 100 million range remains tied up in inventory due to the political decision to suspend the carry forward of the GHG quotas from 2024 to the obligation years 2025 and 2026. The surpluses accumulated until 2024 will be available again from 2027.

In light of this and the Group’s significantly lower operating result in 2024/25, the Management Board and Supervisory Board of Verbio SE will propose to the annual general meeting on December 5, 2025 that the distribution of a dividend be suspended, with accumulated retained earnings being carried forward in full to the next financial year. Claus Sauter, Chief Executive Officer of Verbio SE, said: “The exceptional departure from our dividend policy this year reflects the unusual circumstances. The past financial year was a challenge for all of us at Verbio. Holding on to our dividend policy this year would be inappropriate with respect to Verbio’s hard-working employees. We maintain our target of making reliable dividend payments, and are optimistic that we will return to at least the usual level in the medium term.”

The objective is based on the fact that the implementation of RED III and the dynamics of the international biofuel markets present concrete opportunities for Verbio’s business. Claus Sauter explains: "With the consistent implementation of RED III and better controls of biofuels entering the market in Europe, we are opening a new chapter for sustainable mobility and fair competition in Germany. I think that the European and German supervisory authorities have learnt a lot in the last 30 months and have finally drawn the right conclusions. Internationally, there is a clear upward trend in biofuels and renewable molecules: India is already blending 20 percent bioethanol into petrol, while Japan is planning to use E10 across the board by 2030 and E20 in the long term. Interest in biomethane is also growing in industry, energy supply and shipping. Further, the energy source further offers additional flexibility for the production of biomethanol or renewable hydrogen – a clear advantage for cross-sector defossilisation.” Verbio’s biomethane sales outside of road transport are steadily increasing. 

Verbio key figures

Detailed information on business developments in the financial year 2024/25 is provided in Verbio’s annual report for the period ended June 30, 2025, which can be viewed from 8.30 a.m. CEST on September 25, 2025 on Verbio’s website at www.verbio.de/en/financial-reports/.