Germany's WELtec BioPower to Commission 15 Million-Cubic-Meter Biomethane Plant in August

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--WELtec BioPower GmBH (Vechta, Germany), a manufacturer of biogas plants, is scheduled to begin operation of the first unit of a biogas facility being developed in Konnern, Saxony Anhalt, Germany, by August. The 13-hectare biogas park will be one of the largest in the world, with a production capacity of 15 million cubic meters per year of biomethane. The plant will enable biomethane to be fed directly into natural gas grid to provide sufficient energy to meet the annual heating requirements of more than 10,000 homes.

The biogas park, to be developed between Halle and Magdeburg in Konnern, will operate on 120,000 tons per year of liquid manure and maize that would be delivered to the plant by 30 local farmers. The feedstock will be converted into 30 million cubic meters per year of biogas through a bacterial fermentation process. This would then be converted into 15 million cubic meters per year of biomethane that would be fed into the natural gas grid, while the remaining biogas would be used for power generation.

Biogas is usually employed in cogeneration power plants to generate heat and electricity. However, efficient utility of biogas depends on the spatial proximity of the consumer, while the cost-effectiveness of the cogeneration plant depends upon the amount of heat purchased. These considerations are rendered secondary with the conversion of biogas to biomethane, which can be injected directly into the natural gas network and transported to the consumer. In addition to being carbon-dioxide (CO2) neutral, the process also ensures continual and uniform supply of energy to the end user.

The conversion of raw gas to biomethane involves a three-stage process comprising biogas desulfurization, drying of gas, and enrichment of methane through the removal of CO2. The raw gas is compressed to about 4-7 bars of pressure and passed through an adsorption column made of zeolite or carbon molecular sieve to remove CO2, resulting in the continuous production of biomethane. CO2 can also be removed by using amine to increase the methane content of biogas.

WELtec BioPower has developed most of the technology internally, including the determination of optimum dosage for specific substrate input, efficient mixing systems for substrate fermentation, constant gas yield while ensuring low energy consumption, gas processing for maximum production of energy in thermal heating plants, sanitation plants adhering to European Union hygiene regulation, and solutions for processing fermenting residue.

The biogas park will consist of 16 stainless steel digesters, each of which is 6.3 meters in height and 25 meters in diameter. The bacterial fermentation process used to produce biogas also generates corrosive elements such as ammonia and sulfur. Stainless steel is a viable alternative to the more expensive concrete or sheet metal for construction of the fermenters, as it provides greater resistance to corrosion. ThyssenKrupp Nirosta GmBH (Krefeld, Germany), a unit of ThyssenKrupp Stainless AG (Duisburg, Germany), is the exclusive supplier of stainless steel for WELtec, having delivered more than 1,500 tons of material for several biogas projects undertaken by WELtec over the last two years. ThyssenKrupp Nirosta has primarily supplied standard sheet-steel Nirosta 4301 2H, which provides the benefits of using thinner steel without any loss of stability and strength, resulting in cost savings. The smooth, dense surface of the material provides protection from corrosion.

WELtec BioPower received the building permit to set up the biogas park near Halle in May 2008. Construction was scheduled for completion in nine months and the plant was to commence operations in the first quarter of this year. Agridea BioPower GmBH (Bundesrepublik, Germany), a subsidiary of WELtec BioPower, will operate the biogas facility.

In February, WELtec BioPower began work on an 800-kilowatt (kW) biogas plant in Talgarth in Wales, United Kingdom. Scheduled for completion in May 2009, the $3 million plant will consist of two fermenters of 176,600 cubic feet and 106,000 cubic feet, a dosing feeder of 1,766 cubic feet, a separation unit, and a sanitation plant. The facility will operate on a substrate feedstock of abattoir waste, grass, grease, liquid manure, and maize silage. Upon commissioning, the plant will feed gas and electricity into the grid to provide power to about 1,500 homes.

In March this year, the firm forayed into the French market with the sale of two biogas plants through its local sales partner Domaix Energie (Albens, France). One of the plants will be developed in the village of Gruffy in the Rhone-Alpes region and will consist of a fermenter with a capacity of 28,250 cubic feet, a separator, and a combined heat and power plant of 104 kW. Scheduled for commissioning in May this year, the plant will have an operating efficiency of over 75%. Feedstock for the plant will consist of bakery waste, cattle manure, solid manure, industrial waste, vegetable leftovers, and other biomass residue.

The second plant is being developed in Esserts-Blay, also in the Rhone-Alpes region, and will consist of a fermenter with a capacity of 46,260 cubic feet. Construction activities have commenced and the plant is scheduled for commissioning in summer. Feedstock for the facility will consist of cattle manure, solid manure, and whey from a cheese dairy at the site.

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