Sauter Biogas

What Sauter Biogas does

Sauter Biogas GmbH is a privately held German renewable energy engineering firm founded in 2006 by brothers Stefan and Norbert Sauter, headquartered in Klipphausen near Dresden. The company designs, plans, constructs, and services custom biogas plants ranging from 75 kW to 4 MW in capacity, serving primarily agricultural operators (farmers, livestock operations) and selected industrial waste-to-energy customers across Europe, with selected projects in North America, Africa, and Asia.

The company's competitive foundation is its patented 'Beregnen statt rühren!' (Sprinkling instead of stirring) fermentation system, which replaces mechanical agitators with a controlled nozzle-based substrate distribution system. This architecture enables processing of a wide substrate range (including 100% manure, grass, corn silage, and industrial by-products like brewery residues) without a separate biomass bunker, with all technology positioned outside the fermenter for maintenance access. The product portfolio spans four plant types (LEA/SB Mini, SB Midi 150–800 kWel, SB Maxi 500 kW–1.5 MWel, SB Mega >1 MW), supported by proprietary components including the Liquimix feeding system, Stopfschnecke feed screw, modular Technikraum (RMB concrete or TC container technical rooms), and outsourced CHP units.

Sauter Biogas operates a direct, project-based sales model: revenue is generated through one-time engineering and construction contracts, supplemented by recurring service subscriptions covering online monitoring and maintenance. Pricing is custom per project and not publicly disclosed. The company is family-owned with approximately 15 active employees plus established construction partners, and is currently investing in operational scaling via ERP implementation (co-funded by the European Fund for Regional Development) and targeted hiring of technical and procurement staff in 2024.

Name

Sauter Biogas

Legal name

Sauter Biogas GmbH

Website

https://sauter-biogas.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sauter Biogas GmbH is a German family-owned biogas plant manufacturer serving agricultural operators across Europe, using a patented nozzle-based fermentation system to build custom plants from 75 kW to 4 MW.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biogas Plant Construction

NAICS

Biomass Electric Power Generation (221117)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Biofuel Plant EPC, O&M & Process Technology Providers (EUAAAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biogas/RNG Plant Development, EPC & Project Delivery (EUAAAEAH), Biogas/RNG Plant Operations, Maintenance & Asset Management (EUAAAEAI)

Keywords

• Biogas plant construction
• Anaerobic digestion systems
• Renewable energy equipment
• Agricultural waste processing
• Biomethane production

Headquarters

HQ city

Klipphausen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Biogas Plant Construction: Design, planning, and construction of custom biogas plants. Plants range from 75 kW to 4 MW capacity. Project-based revenue model with custom engineering for each installation.
2. Service and Monitoring: Ongoing service including online monitoring, maintenance, and technical support. Intensive support during first year of operation included as standard. Regular data comparison with other biogas plants to detect irregularities early.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sauter Biogas GmbH designs, plans, and constructs custom biogas plants using its patented "Beregnen statt rühren!" (Sprinkling instead of stirring) fermentation system. The company offers a full service lifecycle from consulting, planning, and plant construction to ongoing monitoring and maintenance, with plants ranging from 75 kW to 4 MW capacity and serving agricultural, industrial, and international energy customers.

Product overview

Sauter Biogas GmbH is a biogas plant manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio built around its patented 'Beregnen statt rühren!' (irrigation instead of stirring) system. The core technology replaces traditional stirrers with a sprinkler system that distributes substrate over the fermenter surface. The product range includes: the patented Beregnungssystem (sprinkling system) and Liquimix feeding system as key components; modular technical rooms available as concrete prefabricated buildings (RMB) or steel containers (TC); the Pumpsystem as the central heart of the plant; and feeding systems including Stopfschnecke (stuffing screw) and Einschubschacht (insertion shaft). Plant types span from LEA (SB Mini) for small-scale applications, through SB Midi (medium class, 150-800 kWel) and SB Maxi (upper mid-range, 500kW-1.5MWel), to SB Mega for installations over 1 MW. The company provides full-service capabilities including consulting, planning, plant construction, and ongoing service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEA: Small biogas plant system ('SB Mini') with variants: LEA pur (for liquid substrates like slurry), LEA mix (for mixed substrates including solid manure), and LEA spezial (for up to 100% solid manure).
• SB Midi
• SB Maxi
• SB Mega

Products and services

• LEA (SB Mini) Compact small-scale biogas plant system with full patented technology for all substrates and any farm size. Available in LEA pur (for pumpable substrates like slurry), LEA mix (for mixed substrates including solid manure), and LEA special (for up to 100% solid manure).
• SB Midi Proven medium-class biogas plant model in the power range 150 to approximately 800 kWel with compact and clear design. Used in BGA Bad Wurzach and BGA Bahra.
• SB Maxi Upper mid-range biogas plant system with generous space layout, typically used in the 500 kW to 1.5 MWel range.
• SB Mega Top-tier biogas plant model for power ranges over 1 MW with individual construction design at very low costs.
• Liquimix Liquid feeding system for all solid substrates in biogas plants. Can process over 20t/h of difficult substrates like loader wagon grass. Features integrated precision cutting system, stainless steel contact surfaces, and robust construction for long service life.
• Beregnungssystem (Sprinkling System) The patented core technology of Sauter Biogas. Substrate surface in the fermenter is sprinkled via a pump system and controlled nozzles, eliminating the need for mechanical agitators. Creates stratified fermentation zones and operates without a biomass bunker.
• Pumpsystem (Pump System) The heart of the biogas plant located in the central technical room, containing substrate pumps, distribution system, heat exchangers, and electrical/control technology.
• Technikraum RMB (Technical Room Concrete Module) Prefabricated concrete building delivered with fully pre-mounted technology to the construction site, offering better sound absorption and temperature consistency.
• Biogas Plant Service and Monitoring Ongoing service including online monitoring, maintenance, and technical support. Intensive support during first year of operation included as standard. Regular data comparison with other biogas plants to detect irregularities early.
• Biogas Plant Consulting and Planning Consulting and planning services for custom biogas plant projects. Direct sales approach for project execution based on customer substrate requirements and capacity needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 50 plants built from 75 kW to 4 MW capacity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Sauter Biogas