ATEC Biodigesters
Australia with operations in Cambodia

Industry:
Clean Energy

www.atecbio.com

About the Enterprise

ATEC provides high-quality and pre-fabricated biodigesters to rural Cambodian farming families. Biodigesters collect and treat manure, human, kitchen and green waste which are then converted to biogas. In addition, organic fertilisers are produced for cooking and farming use.

The market for biodigesters in Cambodia is 1.3 million rural households. There is also a growing international market with over 45 million biodigesters installed globally. Rural families typically have lack of access to energy and face high costs of farming which stresses household budgets. A family will save over USD $20 per month with a biodigester. The market is assessed to be in its infancy in several countries, with under 2% of the target market owning a biodigester after 10 years of the technology being made available.

Impact

ATEC’s operations generate impact in the following key areas annually, based on projections of 10,000 units:

• Increase Access to Renewable Energy: 53,000 people will have access to renewable energy and fertilisers.

• Environmental Impact: 2.7 million tons of renewable gas produced, 34,776 tonnes of Greenhouse Gas abated, and 25,000 tonnes of forest conserved.

• Health Impact: Kitchen Air Pollution reduced by 80%, reducing one of the leading causes of premature deaths in Cambodia.

• Enhanced Financial Resilience: $2.56 million in savings for farming families, and a user payback of 11 times from the biodigester investment over the life of the product, providing extra income for these households.

ATEC and IIX

Under the ACTS Program, ATEC received technical assistance and impact assessment support from IIX for investment readiness. Through the Program, ATEC successfully raised USD700,000 in a Series-A equity round to expand its operations in Cambodia. IIX brought together a consortium of investors led by Small Giants (Australia) and including Fondation Ensemble (France), ENGIE Rassembleurs d’Energies (France) and a private Australian investor. The investment round was matched with a results-based-financing by EEP Mekong, an initiative of the Government of Finland.

In acknowledgement of IIX as a critical partner in its development, ATEC continued to work closely with IIX on subsequent technical assistance and capital raise efforts. IIX provided support to ATEC on exploring other international markets, particularly Bangladesh.