Biogas from coffee husks
Commercial interim management for a major order from India
A young engineering firm develops biogas plants for centralised and decentralised energy generation. When a potential customer enquires about a first large-scale plant, the excitement is huge. But the biogas power plant is intended for an Indian coffee plantation. How should such a large-scale international project be planned, structured and driven forward? Niels Schumann comes into play.
Wind farms, solar plants and biomass power plants are the fields in which the engineering firm is at home. In 2010, the company is still in its infancy and is developing biogas power plants of all sizes, among other things. Highly competent experts in the technical field. For the growing market of sustainable energy production.
Bringing an idea to market maturity is one thing. Selling such a product worldwide and installing it at the customer's site is another.
When a listed company from India expresses interest in a large biogas plant for a coffee plantation in the so-called "coffee belt" in southern India, the engineers realise that they need local commercial support for the structuring, financing and implementation of the project.
Niels Schumann began as an interim commercial manager, taking on project management and realigning the sales strategy towards India. He quickly familiarised himself with the Indian economy.
There, in the highlands of southern India, the Cologne-based engineers' plant was to be used to generate biogas from coffee husks for electricity and heat.
For the €5 million power plant project to succeed, it requires sound strategic planning, commercial expertise – and an understanding of India's cultural and economic characteristics.
In addition, it is necessary to negotiate the legal and contractual arrangements with the respective experts in Germany and India, secure export financing, and set up the organisation, including a cooperation model with all project participants.
This involves several trips to the region, during which Niels Schumann also visits the coffee plantation where the biogas power plant is to be built. The project is finally finalised in personal discussions with the local authorities. The vision of an integrated circular economy combining coffee cultivation and biogas production is taking shape.
Within a year, the project had progressed significantly to the point where it was ready for implementation. Key factors in its success were technical expertise and practical experience in entering international markets, intercultural competence and an appreciative attitude towards Indian business partners and project staff. The engineering company succeeded in gaining a foothold in the Indian market.