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Biomethane Plant Topping-Out in Halinga

If renewable energy is already being produced in Põhja-Pärnumaa municipality at the Tootsi wind farm and solar parks around Vändra, then now renewable gas will be added alongside them – a topping-out ceremony was held on Piimajõe Road in Halinga to mark the construction of one of Estonia’s largest biomethane plants.

The plant, due for completion next spring, will produce biomethane from local livestock manure and biowaste, turning them into clean domestic fuel. The €15 million facility is being built by Infortar next to dairy farms, with support from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility under the NextGenerationEU programme.

“At Halinga, we have always valued traditions – in spring we sow, in autumn we plough. Only in early spring there was just a big hole in the ground where the plant is now rising, but today the white domes are already visible from the Via Baltica. The topping-out wreath is a sign that the builders have kept their word and the work is on schedule. This is the largest investment of the year in Põhja-Pärnumaa, and its assured completion by spring 2026 gives confidence to the whole region. As tradition dictates, we mark the occasion with a well-deserved handshake for the builders,” said Raul Peetson, Managing Director of Halinga OÜ.

“The construction of the Halinga biomethane plant has been an exciting challenge for INF Ehitus – on the one hand, it is a complex engineering project, and on the other, it carries responsibility for the country’s energy security. Major construction works on the general and external networks are now nearing completion, and the digesters are ready. Equipment installation and technological works are under way and will continue until the end of this year. After that, the commissioning and start-up of the plant will follow – a process comparable in complexity to setting up a modern industrial complex,” said Martin Viilep, Member of the Management Board of AS INF Ehitus.

Biomethane is a fully domestic Estonian fuel, produced mainly from manure and biowaste. From the annual manure output of a single dairy cow, it is possible to produce about 200 kg of biomethane – enough to drive up to 5,000 kilometres.

Together with partners, Infortar has invested nearly €30 million in biomethane plants and launched production in Oisu (Järva County), Ilmatsalu (Tartu County) and Vinni (Lääne-Viru County). The largest customers for biomethane today are public transport companies in Tartu, Rakvere, Jõhvi and Pärnu, in addition to which biomethane is available at filling stations across Estonia.

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A significant syndicated loan agreement

Elenger’s subsidiaries, Latvian gas distribution company Gaso and Estonian gas distribution company Gaasivõrk have entered into a EUR 170 million syndicated term loan facility agreement.

The new syndicated term loan facility will enable Gaso and Gaasivõrk to refinance their existing long-term debt obligations and invest further into gas distribution networks. The syndicated financing is provided by SEB, Swedbank, and OP Corporate Bank.

“Thanks to this financing, Gaso and Gaasivõrk will enhance their investment capacity, improve service quality, and strengthen security of supply for more than 400,000 customers. Natural gas plays a crucial role as a transition fuel and a supporter of renewable energy. Already today, a significant amount of domestically produced renewable gas circulates in our networks, and its share is increasing over time. Therefore, the gas infrastructure is directly linked to moving towards climate goals,” said Margus Kaasik, Chairman of the Management Board of Elenger Grupp.

SEB Management Board member and Head of Corporate Banking, Peep Jalakas, said that Infortar’s professional team has proven itself in successfully carrying out large international projects. “We are pleased to finance projects that are essential for ensuring energy security. The development of controllable capacities and the local production of biomethane are of critical importance for this, and the cooperation between different banks demonstrates the will to promote the welfare of society,” added Jalakas.

“We are ready to invest boldly in forward-looking projects. We are pleased to continue financing progressive companies such as Infortar and its subsidiaries, and we are glad to do so in cooperation with other banks when it comes to large-scale investments,” added Eero Treumann, Member of the Management Board and Head of Corporate Customer Division at Swedbank.

“We are very pleased to be part of Elenger Grupp’s growth story. At OP, we value the ambition and professionalism of the entire Infortar team. For us, this is an excellent example of long-term cooperation, where we can support the company’s growth and contribute to the development of the energy industry in the Baltics,” commented OP Country Manager Hannes Kaadu.

The transaction does not affect Infortar’s debt servicing capacity and does not have a material impact on the company’s economic activities.

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Q2 Results of 2025

Infortar’s second-quarter sales volumes reached a record-breaking €505 million, exceeding the result of the same period last year by more than 2.5 times.

A recording of the webinar presenting the second-quarter results is available HERE.

"The second quarter was successful in the energy sector – we strengthened our market positions, increased both energy sales volumes and profitability, particularly in the Polish market and in infrastructure," said Ain Hanschmidt. "Maritime transport also showed signs of recovery, reflecting renewed customer confidence and the restoration of travel capabilities. In the real estate and construction segment, we handed over the Pärnu bridge to the client and continue to work on several major infrastructure projects, including the construction of the Rail Baltica main line.

One of the most notable transactions of the half-year also took place in the second quarter – the signing of the agreement to acquire Estonia Farms. For Infortar, this marks a significant expansion into agriculture – Estonia Farms and the Halinga farm acquired last year produce 160 tonnes of milk daily, accounting for 6.5% of Estonia’s total milk output. Integrating milk production with circular economy practices and renewable energy enables us to further expand the bioeconomy sector and produce domestic green gas.

This half-year, we have invested €38 million across various projects, including the construction of one of Estonia’s largest biogas plants in Halinga, a new solar power plant in Olaine Municipality, Latvia, and repair and upgrade works on the cruise ship Baltic Princess. While the energy segment’s profitability has grown and EBITDA has reached €20 million, the maritime transport result was affected by only two idle vessels (compared to four previously) and dividend withholding tax. The construction and real estate segment has remained on a path of stable growth."

Elenger Group increased its second-quarter sales volume by nearly a quarter compared to the same period last year, reaching a total of 4.9 TWh. The company’s gas sales market share in the Finland-Baltic region grew to 28%. Energy sales in Estonia accounted for 10% of the second-quarter total in 2025.

Since 1 August of last year, Infortar has also been consolidating the results of Tallink in its reports. In Q2 2025, AS Tallink Grupp transported a total of 1,488,128 passengers, representing a 2.5% increase compared to the same period last year. While the transport of passenger vehicles grew by 1.4%, reaching 212,782 units, the number of cargo units transported fell by 22.8% to 67,038 units.

Infortar’s second-quarter EBITDA was €57.4 million and pre-tax profit €15.5 million, marking a 50% increase from Q2 2024. However, due to a €17 million income tax charge, the net result for the quarter was a loss of €1.6 million. As of 30 June 2025, total assets amounted to €2.5 billion.

The Group’s sales revenue for the first half of the year totalled €951 million, with a net loss of €14 million.

As of 30 June 2025, the company’s equity stood at €1.174 billion, and total assets at €2.499 billion. In July this year, the company paid out €31 million in dividends.