Koster

What Koster does

Koster srl is an Italian integrated circular economy operator headquartered in San Nazzaro Sesia (Novara province), founded in 2002 by Costanzo Borda. The company converts non-hazardous organic waste — green waste (CER 200201), biodegradable waste (CER 200108), and wood — into biomethane via anaerobic digestion, then upgrades the biogas using its proprietary BIOCH4NGE® polymer membrane technology to produce high-quality biomethane. The new San Nazzaro Sesia plant, inaugurated in June 2025, processes 50,000 tonnes of organic waste annually and generates up to 6.4 million Smc of biomethane. Koster is the parent entity of the broader Gruppo Borda, which includes three biogas plants across the Vercelli and Pavia provinces, a Gallarate facility, agricultural operations, and the wholly-owned logistics subsidiary LOGTER srl.

The company's revenue model spans four streams: (1) biomethane and LNG/CNG production and distribution through an owned public fuel station (the first complete-cycle station in Italy, operational since January 5, 2025); (2) professional services for non-hazardous waste treatment for municipalities and waste management companies; (3) direct sales of compost, soil (terriccio), and natural fertilizers to agricultural, horticultural, and landscaping customers; and (4) third-party agricultural services including equipment rental, specialized personnel, and customized fertilization planning. GTM is hybrid — direct-to-consumer via the public fuel station and direct sales of compost, combined with sales-led B2B relationships with municipalities, waste management companies, and agricultural operations.

Koster employs approximately 100 people, having grown from roughly 10 at founding, and is family-owned under the Borda family with Costanzo Borda serving as CEO. The company secured a €14.5 million loan from Intesa Sanpaolo in October 2023, supported by SACE's Green Guarantee, to finance the biomethane plant construction. Its operations are concentrated in the Piedmont and Lombardy regions of Northern Italy, serving municipalities, agricultural operators, transport and logistics companies, and the general public through the fuel station retail channel.

Name

Koster

Legal name

Koster srl

Website

https://koster-srl.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Koster srl is an Italian integrated circular economy operator that converts organic waste into biomethane via anaerobic digestion and proprietary BIOCH4NGE® membrane technology, distributing LNG/CNG fuel and compost to municipalities, agricultural operators, transport companies, and the public across Northern Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Biogas Production

NAICS

Compost Manufacturing (325315), Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) & Biogas/RNG Production (Organics Feedstocks) (BPALAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organics Facility Development & Operations Services (Design/Build, O&M, Permitting) (EUAIAEAJ), Organics Transfer & Pre-Processing (Food/Yard Waste) (EUAIABAD), Organics-to-Energy & CHP from Biogas (On-site Power/Heat) (EUAIAEAG), Organics End-Market Services (Land Application, Soil Restoration, Erosion Control) (BPALAEAL), Commercial Food Waste Programs & On-Site Solutions (Cafeterias, Grocers, Hospitality) (BPALAEAE)

Keywords

• Biomethane production
• Waste treatment services
• Compost and fertilizers
• LNG fuel distribution
• Circular economy solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

San Nazzaro Sesia

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Biomethane and LNG Production and Distribution: Transforms organic waste into biomethane via anaerobic digestion, converts to LNG/CNG for vehicle fuel, distributes through owned fuel station. Revenue from fuel sales to transport companies and public.
2. Non-Hazardous Waste Treatment Services: Treatment services for green waste, biodegradable waste, and wood waste. Processes CER codes 200201, 200108 and wood waste.
3. Compost and Soil Product Sales: Sale of high-quality compost, soil (terriccio), and natural fertilizers for agricultural use, horticulture, and gardening.
4. Third-Party Agricultural Services: Rental of rotating screens and crushers for composting, provision of modern agricultural machinery, specialized personnel for waste treatment and agricultural operations, customized fertilization planning.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Koster operates an integrated circular economy platform that converts non-hazardous organic waste (green waste, biodegradable waste, wood waste) into biomethane through anaerobic digestion, then distributes LNG and CNG through its own public fuel station. The company also sells derived compost, soil, and natural fertilizers to agricultural and landscaping customers and provides third-party agricultural services including equipment rental, specialized personnel, and earth-moving.

Product overview

KOSTER operates as an integrated circular economy platform centered on its biomethane production facility. The core offering consists of anaerobic digestion technology that converts organic waste into biomethane, which is then either injected into the natural gas grid or liquefied (LNG) for distribution through the company's proprietary fueling station—the first in Italy with a complete waste-to-fuel cycle. The product portfolio includes: Produzione di Biometano (waste-to-biomethane via anaerobic digestion), Produzione e Distribuzione di GNL (biomethane to LNG conversion and distribution), and the Distributore di Biometano/GNL/GNC (public-access fuel station). Supporting services encompass agricultural contracting (Servizi Conto Terzi per il Settore Agricolo), sale of derived products (compost and soil via Vendita di Prodotti Derivati), non-hazardous waste treatment, and earth-moving services. LOGTER, a group company, handles logistics using the biomethane produced, creating a closed-loop system from waste collection to renewable fuel distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LOGTER: Logistics division of the Koster group, specializing in environmental logistics and waste transportation with a fleet of methane-powered heavy vehicles.

Products and services

• Biomethane Production (Produzione di Biometano) Transforms biodegradable waste (green waste CER 200201, biodegradable waste CER 200108, and wood waste) into high-quality biomethane through anaerobic digestion, including sorting, shredding, composting, and maturation processes.
• Koster Biomethane Fuel Station (LNG/CNG) Public-access fuel station dispensing LNG (liquefied natural gas) and CNG (compressed natural gas) for commercial and industrial vehicles, with a 100 mc cryogenic tank, competitive rates in Piedmont, ample parking, and services for truck drivers.
• LNG Production and Distribution (Produzione e Distribuzione di GNL) Converts biomethane into LNG (liquefied natural gas) for use as a green fuel for heavy vehicles, distributed through Koster's own refueling station.
• Compost and Soil Sales (Vendita di Prodotti Derivati) Sale of high-quality compost and soil (terriccio) for agricultural, horticultural, and gardening use, derived from the company's waste treatment processes.
• Third-Party Agricultural Services (Servizi Conto Terzi per il Settore Agricolo) Third-party agricultural services including rental of rotating screens and fast/slow shredders for composting, supply of modern agricultural machinery, specialized personnel for waste treatment and agricultural operations, and technical consulting for personalized fertilization plans.
• Non-Hazardous Waste Treatment (Trattamento dei Rifiuti Non Pericolosi) Treatment of non-hazardous waste including green waste, biodegradable waste, and wood. Materials are processed through advanced treatment to produce high-quality compost and natural fertilizers.
• Earth Moving and Excavation (Movimentazione Terra e Scavi)

Quantifiable outcome

• Processes 50,000 tonnes of organic waste annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LOGTER srlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOGTER is the logistics division of the Group Borda, managed by the same leadership. They operate environmental logistics with a fleet of LNG and CNG vehicles, integrated with Koster's biomethane production for a complete circular economy cycle.
• LogterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner company with link displayed on Koster website.
• CIC (Consorzio Italiano Compostatori)minorOthersItalian composting consortium partner listed on Koster website.
• GreenlineminorOthersPartner company listed on Koster website.
• LabAnalysisminorOthersLaboratory partner listed on Koster website for waste analysis services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Iren Ambiente: Italian multi-utility's waste management division, operating treatment plants, recycling facilities, and biomethane production in northern and central Italy. Comparable to Koster in municipal organic waste treatment, though at much greater scale and across broader territories.
• A2A Ambiente: Multi-utility Italian waste management and energy services division of A2A Group, operating waste treatment, recycling, and biogas facilities across northern Italy. Larger incumbent with overlapping waste-to-energy operations in the same Lombardy/Piedmont geography.
• Hera Group: Major Italian multi-utility operating integrated waste management, energy, and gas distribution across Emilia-Romagna and northern Italy. Offers AD/biogas processing as part of a broad portfolio of environmental services, overlapping with Koster's waste treatment and renewable energy activities.

Others

• Eni (Eni Sustainable Mobility): Major Italian integrated energy company with growing biomethane, biofuels, and renewable fuel mobility operations, including HVO and methane distribution networks. Comparable in biomethane-to-transport-fuel positioning, with significantly greater scale and capital.
• SNAM: Italian gas infrastructure operator that transports and distributes natural and biomethane through Italy's national grid. Comparable as an enabler of Koster's biomethane value chain — Koster's upgraded gas can be injected into or distributed alongside SNAM's network.

Regional players

• Decal: Italian waste management and industrial services company operating in Veneto and northeastern Italy. Comparable in scale and integrated waste-to-compost/biogas activities, but serves a different geography from Koster's Piedmont/Lombardy focus.
• CVA Energie: Valle d'Aosta-based Italian energy company operating renewable generation including small-scale biogas. Comparable as a regional Italian renewable energy producer with hydro/biogas mix, though smaller and more geographically focused than Koster's footprint.

Direct peers

• Asja Ambiente Italia: Italian company specializing in biogas-to-energy production from organic waste, landfill gas, and forestry biomass. Operates multiple AD/biogas plants across Italy using proprietary technology — directly comparable to Koster's core anaerobic digestion business and similar Italian regulatory/policy backdrop.
• Verbio: German bioenergy company and one of Europe's largest producers of biomethane, biodiesel, and bioethanol from agricultural and organic feedstocks. Comparable to Koster in anaerobic digestion and biomethane upgrading, with similar first-mover strategy in renewable transport fuels.
• Nature Energy: Denmark-based leader in large-scale biomethane production from organic waste via anaerobic digestion, operating a network of plants across Northern Europe. Directly comparable to Koster in AD-from-organic-waste operations and biomethane grid injection/transport fuel distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Koster