Higher prices for biofuels are boosting Verbio's profits

Biofuel producer Verbio earned significantly more in the first quarter of the fiscal year than it did a year earlier. The company reported a net profit of 36 million euros for the period from July through September. In the same period last year, Verbio had posted a loss of 4 million euros. 

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA)—in simple terms, what remains from operations after current expenses—rose to 76.1 million euros, up from 15.4 million euros in the same quarter a year earlier. Revenue increased by just under 22 percent to 533.6 million euros.

Biodiesel Business Drives Earnings

The biodiesel business performed particularly well: The segment’s EBITDA rose to 51.2 million euros, more than double the figure from a year earlier. Verbio attributed this, among other things, to higher prices as well as increased production and sales. Earnings also improved in the bioethanol and biomethane segment: Instead of a loss of 9.5 million euros, the segment posted a profit of 19.7 million euros.

Verbio is headquartered in Leipzig. The company produces bioethanol and biodiesel from biomass at facilities in Zörbig and Bitterfeld in Saxony-Anhalt, as well as in Schwedt and Pinnow in Brandenburg, among other locations. Verbio also operates additional sites in Hungary, the U.S., Canada, and Asia.

Forecast at the Upper End of the Range

For the current fiscal year 2026/27, Verbio expects EBITDA to be at the upper end of the previous forecast range of 210 to 250 million euros. The group cited a better-than-expected start to the fiscal year and continued strong profit margins for biodiesel in Europe and North America.