V Group’s investment plans contribute to the transformation of the hazardous and non–hazardous waste management sector, as well as the wider movement of sustainable innovation and energy preservation.
Vyron Vasileiadis belongs to a generation of entrepreneurs, who are determined to transform the business world, by prioritizing sustainability and adapting to the unprecedented circumstances of our time. Those who have worked with him, admire his ability to identify opportunities at the right time and come up with novel solutions to problems that would otherwise interfere with the effective completion of a project. It therefore comes as no surprise, that Vyron has taken the Waste Management and Renewable Energy sectors by storm.
In 2022 alone, V – Group’s founder and chairman plans to invest over €40 million in the renewable energy sector, as well as the integrated management of hazardous and non – hazardous waste, setting an example for sustainable and responsible entrepreneurship. Talking to “business stories”, he addresses the group’s dynamic growth and its significant investment in key sectors of the economy.
Q: You are the Founder and Chairman of a group of companies with a long – standing and successful track record in the industries of waste management and renewable energy. What vision guides the group’s growth and determines its core objectives?
I consider myself lucky, because to this date, I have had an intense business career, filled with opportunities, achievements and challenges, which I was able to overcome with hard work and the valuable help of trusted partners, who share my vision.
The journey has never been easy. However, by building a team that is able and willing to overcome adversities and strive for constant improvement, I have been able to grow a business that operates as a model for sustainable growth. It is therefore my team that inspires me, supporting my every decision and helping me identify the priorities that will ultimately shape the group’s future.
Q: How do you and your team navigate today’s business world?
A: My team and I follow global developments closely, promptly adapting to changing circumstances and effectively responding to the needs of our time. Determined to contribute to the evolution of the sectors in which we operate, we are in constant search of novel technologies and innovative methods, applying only the highest standards to every project we decide to take on. Despite being a return–driven group of companies, we only participate in responsible and ethical investments, prioritizing the support of our workforce, as well as the local communities in which we operate.
Q: Can you list and describe the companies that are a part V – Group?
Antipollution, our flagship company, is part of the group’s environmental department and one of the leading companies in the provision of port reception facilities for solid ship-generated waste in the Eastern Mediterranean. VEN Engineering, is one of the leading companies in waste management and alternative fuel production and Green, is responsible for the development of significant renewable energy projects. Each of our companies undergoes continuous growth, creating value, developing effective environmental, social and corporate governance strategies and demonstrating the group’s commitment to sustainability.
Our vision is to create a lasting legacy and sturdy set of values, with the power to inspire future generations and motivate them to achieve constant progress, prioritizing environmental respect in each of their activities.
Q: What are the main pillars of V – Group’s business model in the energy sector?
A: Our group may be of Greek origin, but it is committed to setting international goals. We operate in an extremely competitive environment and are heavily invested in the development of state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technologies. Operating in the Environmental and Energy sectors, we undertake numerous waste management and renewable energy production projects.
The main pillar of the business model of the Group’s environmental department is the utilization of all the waste received, implementing recovery, energy recovery, recycling and reuse processes in order to minimize or eliminate, where feasible, the quantities of waste destined to disposal and burial. The companies of the energy sector undertake demanding projects that combine 24/7 service, simultaneous presence in multiple geographic areas, responding to pollution, leaks and damaged cargo emergencies in Greece and abroad, receiving all categories of waste, and always maintaining a high level of the services provided. The soil decontamination and remediation projects undertaken by the Group are also significant since it has great experience that renders it a very reliable partner.
Q: And in the energy sector?
A: The energy branch of the Group realizes significant projects in the renewable energy and green technology sectors, which promote the transition to clean energy and the protection of the environment, mostly through the reduction of gaseous emissions, i.e. the improvement of the environmental footprint. However, it is important for us to continuously invest in new technologies, as the most modern vehicle for the achievement of our sustainable and green development goals.
Q: What are the fundamental entrepreneurship principles adopted by your Group?
A: The fundamental principles of the business plan adopted by our Group are determined based on the “Zero Waste” and “Circular Economy” approaches, regarding issues related to the environment and waste management and the “Net Zero” approach regarding key issues addressing climate change.
Q: What steps have you taken to address climate change issues?
A: Significant investments made by the Group’s companies in order to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of their activities and thus reduce the greenhouse effect. Investments that are consistent with our business culture and our strategic objective, simultaneously attracting the interest of our customers, who look for a socially responsible partner that sets sustainable development priorities similar to their own.
Q: How is V Group’s investment plan shaped in a business environment full of increased demands, upheavals but also opportunities?
A: Our perpetual goal is to make investments that shape the country’s future, support sustainable development, offer employment opportunities, respect the environment and create socially added value.
In 2021 the Group’s assets amounted to €93 million and its equity to €55 million. For 2022, V Group has planned €10 million of investments in the environment sector and €30 million in the energy sector.
Q: What are these investments about?
In the environment sector, our Group completed a significant investment in Ritsona, Evia, involving the construction of a state-of-the-art waste management plant, of the highest standards in the wider Balkan region, that receives hazardous and non-hazardous waste for processing and the production of alternative fuels and raw materials.
Meanwhile, the implementation of a €10 million investment in Aspropyrgos, Attica has commenced, aiming to increase capacity by 200% and upgrade the production process of the existing non-hazardous waste management and utilization plant, which is expected to be completed within the year. The plant will operate with the most advanced technological equipment and will implement the Group’s Zero Waste strategy, i.e. the utilization of all the received waste. For the implementation of said plant’s upgrade, the Group will collaborate with Greek companies, and leaders in their industry, such as Sabo.
Q: Is this a pioneering move?
A: V Group’s companies were the first in Southeastern Europe to adopt this strategy and implement it for more than five years, both for the ship-generated and the industrial waste they manage. Upon completion of the Aspropirgos plant upgrade, which will constitute the most modern waste management plant in Southeastern Europe, our strategic goal for Zero Waste will be achieved.
Q: And the investment in the energy sector?
A: In the Group’s energy department, we successfully completed a dynamic €10 million investment for the construction of two wind farms, with a total capacity of 4.7MW, in Dervenochoria, Boeotia. This important project contributes to the increase in the share of renewable energy in domestic consumption, to energy savings for the final consumer and the improvement of the country’s security of energy supply. Meanwhile, the Group has started a €40 million investment in four solar farms, with a total capacity of 60MW.
Q: What is included in your energy portfolio?
A: Based on our strategic plan, V – Group’s energy portfolio is set to exceed 100MW by 2023 and includes significant investments in renewable energy projects throughout the following years, making it one of the leading contributors to the molding of the national energy map.
Q: At the beginning of this interview you mentioned that you care about your people. What is the role of the human factor in the Group’s course, and how important is it for Vyron Vasileiadis?
A: For us the most important “investment” is our people, who constitute the best ambassadors of our values and vision. This strong team, that often consists of persons who carried out their internship with us and are now considered strong links of our chain, supports with its work, knowledge, and ideas everything we dream to achieve in our areas of activity, whereas its culture contributes to spread an important wake-up call for climate change and the protection of the environment. I am deeply proud of all the people that are part of the Group’s family and for everything we have achieved so far.
Q: At a time when the term ESG is so prevalent in the everyday parlance of the business community, what is V Group’s position?
In V Group, the pillars Environment, Society and Governance that indicate the Social Responsibility of businesses, the ESG criteria supplementing the financial data for an integrated evaluation of the companies and sustainable development, constituted for decades and continue to constitute the central axis of our business strategy and an everyday reality of our activity.
There is no progress without planning for the present and an account of the past. It is crucial to determine the footprint of every organization and the impact of its activities in order to offset the burden on the environment and society. The incorporation of sustainability principles in business practices provides multiple benefits to companies and all other stakeholders.
Our Group understands the double role it has undertaken, both as a Group that promotes sustainability and as a partner that contributes with its business activity to ensure sustainability on behalf of its associates, which is part of its mission and responsibility to the planet, the market, society, and humanity. To this end, it plans and implements its business strategy incorporating sustainability principles in all its policies, processes and actions and simultaneously acts as an ambassador of sustainable practices for all the participants in its operation, decisions and the footprint of its activity.
During the previous two years, in the context of an extroversion initiative initiated by V Group’s companies, all actions, programs, activities, initiatives and processes that are part of our business plan were disclosed by issuing the first official Social Responsibility Report of the Group.
The state-of-the-art waste management plant, of the highest standards in the wider Balkan region, in Ritsona
The Group completed an investment for the construction of two wind farms, with a total capacity of 4.7MW, in Dervenochoria, Boeotia
