What Limeco does

Limeco is an intercommunal public-law utility institution (Interkommunale Anstalt) founded in 1959 and headquartered at Reservatstrasse 5, Dietikon, in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. It is collectively owned by eight municipalities (Trägergemeinden) — Dietikon, Geroldswil, Oberengstringen, Oetwil an der Limmat, Schlieren, Unterengstringen, Urdorf, and Weiningen — serving approximately 86,722 equivalent residents and a regional population of roughly 84,000 across the Limmattal. The organization operates an integrated infrastructure combining a Kehrichtverwertungsanlage (KVA) waste-to-energy plant, an Abwasserreinigungsanlage (ARA) wastewater treatment facility, Switzerland's first industrial Power-to-Gas installation, and a Regiowärme district heating network that spans 74.3 km and serves 576 connected buildings.

In 2025, Limeco incinerated 91,995 tonnes of waste, treated 12.5 million cubic meters of municipal wastewater, and delivered 172,797 MWh of district heating — a year-over-year volume increase of roughly 23%. Revenue is generated through a combination of municipal service fees (Betriebskostenbeiträge) for wastewater treatment, weight-based waste disposal charges at the on-site recycling center (with free disposal for many recyclables), district heating/cooling/steam tariffs (Regiowärme, Regiokälte, Regiodampf), and infrastructure planning services for municipalities on settlement drainage and sponge-city implementation. Net investments exceeded CHF 31 million in 2025, primarily directed at Regiowärme network expansion, the Limmattaler Energiezentrum (LEZ) generation project, and canal renovation works. The company recorded its ninth consecutive positive annual result, with CHF 9.6 million assigned to equity.

The company is governed by a Verwaltungsrat chaired by Stefano Kunz (departing end of April 2026) under CEO Patrik Feusi. Limeco's strategic agenda is anchored by the LEZ project — a multi-decade replacement of the KVA and ARA planned through 2034 with expansion scope to 2050, supported by a 2018 acquisition of the adjacent Coop-Areal (~64,000 m²). Strategic partnerships include Energie 360° AG for the Urdorf district heating network, Eawag for the Blue Nexus Lab climate-resilience research program, and operational partnerships such as the Firma Obrist e-truck charging arrangement. A new Anstaltsvertrag was approved by the control body in November 2025, formalizing the governance framework needed to execute this long-term capex pipeline.

Name

Limeco

Legal name

Limeco (Institut des öffentlichen Rechts)

Website

https://limeco.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Limeco is an intercommunal public utility owned by eight municipalities in the Swiss Limmattal region, operating integrated waste-to-energy, wastewater treatment, Power-to-Gas, and district heating infrastructure serving approximately 86,722 residents. Revenue is generated through municipal service fees, waste disposal charges, and Regiowärme/Regiokälte heat and cooling sales to 576 connected buildings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Waste, Wastewater, and District Energy Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators (562213), Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply (22133), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Utilities (221)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Refuse Systems (4953), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Waste-to-Energy CHP (Municipal/Industrial Waste Incineration) (EUACAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distributed Energy & Gas Solutions Sales (CHP, Microgrids, On-site Gas Supply) (EUAAADAJ), District Energy Biomass Plants (Heating Networks) (EUAAAGAB), High-Temperature Incineration & Thermal Destruction (Rotary Kiln, Cement Kiln, Thermal Oxidation) (EUAIAFAD)

Keywords

• Waste-to-energy services
• Wastewater treatment
• District heating networks
• Municipal waste disposal
• Power-to-gas technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Dietikon

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Municipal Services & Waste Disposal Fees: Limeco generates revenue through municipal service fees (Betriebskostenbeiträge) for wastewater treatment services paid by the 8 Trägergemeinden, fees for waste incineration and disposal services charged per kilogram, and district heating (Regiowärme) sales to connected buildings. The company achieved CHF 9.6 million assigned to equity in 2025, with CHF 4.9 million from thermal waste processing and net investments of over CHF 31 million.
2. Regiowärme/Regiokälte Sales: Revenue from district heating (Regiowärme) and district cooling (Regiokälte) supplied to connected residential and commercial buildings. In 2025, 576 building connections delivered 172,797 MWh of district heating with heat revenues approximately CHF 3.6 million above previous year.
3. Municipal Planning Services: Planning and coordination services for municipalities in the areas of settlement drainage (Siedlungsentwässerung), Schwammstadt (sponge city) implementation, and infrastructure maintenance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Limeco operates an integrated municipal waste, wastewater, and energy utility for the Limmattal region of Switzerland, converting waste and sewage into CO2-neutral heat, electricity, and green gas. The company runs a KVA waste incineration plant, an ARA wastewater treatment facility, Switzerland's first industrial Power-to-Gas installation, and a 74.3 km Regiowärme district heating network serving 576 connected buildings. It also operates a public recycling center and provides guided educational tours.

Product overview

Limeco operates as an intercommunal infrastructure company providing integrated waste management, water treatment, and renewable energy services to the Limmattal region of Switzerland. The core product portfolio centers on three interconnected services: (1) Abfallentsorgung (Waste Disposal) including recycling center operations with free and fee-based waste processing; (2) Regiowärme (Regional Heat), a CO2-neutral district heating network supplying over 576 connected buildings with heat recovered from waste incineration and wastewater; and (3) Wassermanagement (Water Management) encompassing drainage planning and wastewater treatment. These services are powered by core technologies including the Kehrichtverwertungsanlage (KVA) waste-to-energy plant, the Abwasserreinigungsanlage (ARA) wastewater treatment facility, and Switzerland's first industrial Power-to-Gas installation. The Multi-Energy-Hub integrates these technologies into a unified renewable energy system. Limeco is also developing the Limmattaler Energiezentrum (LEZ), a major generation project to replace and modernize existing facilities by 2034. Educational discovery tours and the Blue Nexus Lab research collaboration with Eawag complement the operational portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Regiowärme: District heating network providing CO2-neutral heating to homes and businesses in the Limmattal region.
• Limmattaler Energiezentrum (LEZ)
• Power-to-Gas

Products and services

• Abfallentsorgung (Waste Disposal) Waste disposal services including recycling center (Recyclinghof) operations, waste calendar management, and disposal tips for residents and small businesses in the Limmattal region. Free disposal for textiles, aluminum, batteries, appliances, glass, cardboard, lightbulbs, paper, PET, and RecyBag; paid disposal for rubbish, oversized items, wood, mineral waste, and tires.
• Regiowärme (Regional District Heating) CO2-neutral district heating supplied to homes and businesses in the Limmattal region, derived from waste incineration and wastewater heat recovery. 576 building connections as of end 2025 (up from 496 in 2024), delivering 172,797 MWh of district heating in 2025 (161,019 MWh Regiowärme, 5,576 MWh Regiokälte, 6,202 MWh Regiodampf). Minimum 90% CO2-neutral.
• Wassermanagement (Water Management) Comprehensive water management including drainage planning (Entwässerungsplanung), settlement drainage (Siedlungsentwässerung), wastewater treatment (Abwasserreinigung), and Schwammstadt (sponge city) initiatives for municipalities in the Limmattal region. Treats 12,485,968 m³ of municipal wastewater annually.
• Entdeckungstour (Discovery Tours) Public guided tours, group tours, and educational tours for school classes exploring Limeco's facilities, waste-to-energy processes, wastewater treatment, and environmental technologies. School class tours launched in March 2025.
• Regiokälte (District Cooling) CO2-neutral district cooling supplied to connected buildings in the Limmattal region, derived from waste heat recovery and renewable energy sources. 5,576 MWh delivered in 2025, including smart cooling supply to Ecopark Tivoli.
• Commercial Waste Disposal Services Commercial waste disposal services for businesses in the Limmattal region, with differentiated per-kg pricing (e.g., CHF 0.27/kg, minimum CHF 30 per disposal) and contract-based waste handling.

Quantifiable outcome

• 58,300 tonnes CO2 savings through district heating use instead of fossil fuels (2025)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Limeco partners with Eawag's Siedlungswasserwirtschaft department for the Blue Nexus Lab (BlueX) real laboratory. The 10-year research project studies how the Limmattal can become more climate-resilient through innovative rainwater management and settlement development. Eawag researchers examine the sponge city concept from various perspectives including biodiversity and water quality.
• Energie 360° AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Limeco entered a cooperation with Energie 360° AG for a district heating network in Urdorf. Limeco provides excess waste heat from its KVA to the wood chip-fired heating plant operated by Energie 360°. Through this cooperation, over 100 buildings or more than 1,500 households in Urdorf are supplied with safe, clean, and environmentally friendly heat from Limeco.
• Firma ObristminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Sustainability partnership with Obrist Transport. After delivering waste to Limeco, the company charges its electric trucks overnight directly at Limeco's truck charging stations.
• LEZ (Limmattaler Energiezentrum)coreOthers

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Axpo Holding AG: Switzerland's largest producer of renewable energy and a major district heating operator. Indirect peer given overlapping Swiss energy and heating exposure, but with a far broader generation portfolio beyond waste.
• MVV Energie AG: German municipal utility with waste-to-energy, district heating, and water services. Comparable operating model as a publicly owned integrated utility with similar CHP/waste heat integration, but substantially larger and broader geographically.
• ewb (Energie Wasser Bern): Bern municipal utility providing electricity, gas, water, and district heating. Comparable on integrated municipal utility structure and district heating, but operating in a different canton.
• BKW AG: Swiss integrated energy company with services across generation, distribution, and district heating. Comparable as a Swiss publicly rooted utility, but with a much broader scope beyond waste-to-energy.

Others

• Hitachi Zosen Inova: Swiss-headquartered EPC and technology provider for waste-to-energy plants, including KVA builds. Adjacent as a technology and infrastructure partner enabling the type of KVA operations Limeco runs.

Direct peers

• Energie 360° AG: Swiss energy and district heating utility partnering with Limeco on the Urdorf Wärmeverbund. Comparable on district heating networks, renewable supply, and integrated utility services in the Swiss German market.
• IWB (Industrielle Werke Basel): Basel municipal utility and operator of the KVA Basel, ranked #2 in Switzerland ahead of Limeco in the 2024 Öko-Tool assessment. Comparable on integrated waste-to-energy, district heating, and public utility mandate.
• ERZ Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich: Operator of the largest KVA in Switzerland (Hagenholz/Josefstrasse) and district heating network in Zurich. Most direct peer given overlapping waste-to-energy, district heating, and wastewater functions and the same Swiss KVA benchmarking category.
• KEZO (Kehrichtverwertung Zürcher Oberland): Regional KVA in the Canton of Zurich processing municipal waste for the Zürcher Oberland region. Direct peer given shared KVA operations, regional mandates, and Swiss efficiency benchmarking.
• EEW Energy from Waste GmbH: One of Europe's largest waste-to-energy operators, with plants delivering electricity, district heating, and steam. Most direct functional peer for Limeco's KVA operations at industrial scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJwHBfVC_40pNLhUAZSS8iQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/limecoregiowerk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/limeco-das-regiowerk-fuers-limmattal
• Instagraminstagram.com/limecoregiowerk
• TikToktiktok.com/@limecoregiowerk

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Limeco