(openPR) - WELtec BioPower GmbH from Vechta, Lower Saxony, will complete a 1 MW biogas plant with integrated unpacking and separation system and shredder for the British company Fernbrook Bio before the end of 2010. The plant, which belongs to the Rothwell Lodge Farm in the East Midlands, will convert 30,000 t of biowaste and manure of the farm‘s cattle herd into electricity. Additionally, the substrate of close-by farms (pig manure, flotate fat) will be fed into the two fermenters of 106,000 cu ft each in order to supply about 2,000 homes with power and heat. Two tanks of 120,000 cu ft each serve as dige- state storage units. A hygienisation unit heats the digestate to 70°C in order to make it fit for use as fertiliser.

In Europe, Great Britain boasts the second-largest biogas potential after Germany. If the available sources were used consistently, more than two million homes could be supplied with green energy from British fermenters via AD (anaerobic digestion). Slowly but surely, anaerobic digestion is gaining popularity among the Brits – mainly because of government measures such as the biomass strategy and the waste strategy but also because of the good reputation of the energy plant technology „made in Germany“.

For the generation of energy from biomass, British investors traditionally rely on the qua- lity of German plant engineers. Thus, the mature and efficient technology that is planned and built by manufacturers like WELtec BioPower has been in the game in the UK ever since biogas plants started to be built. The variable feed-in tariffs are another reason why municipal and industrial investors prefer solid, proven biogas plant technology. After all, process reliability means investment security.

Thanks to the experience gained in more than 200 biogas plant projects, WELtec BioPo- wer GmbH from Vechta in Lower Saxony signed its first contracts in the UK back in 2005. In England, Scotland, and Wales, the plant population under the WELtec label now totals 1.5 MW, plus another 3 MW that are currently under construction or planning.

Investors are especially interested in the reputation of the biogas plant manufacturer and a high in-house production rate, which is particularly significant for exports. Due to the manufacturing depth, the certified manufacturer does not need to purchase any stra- tegic parts or material on site and can provide a location-independent quality guarantee. This is something importers appreciate. Furthermore, the stainless-steel fermenters used by WELtec are 100 percent resistant to aggressive substances.

The last three plant orders that WELtec received from Wales, England, and Scotland use industrial food waste as substrate. This is where the greatest energy potential lies, and the waste strategy has proved to be effective in discouraging the deposit of waste and rather encouraging the use of waste. In terms of the biogas potential, the „Biogas Baro- meter“ of EurObserv‘ER for 2007 positions Great Britain (1.62 MTOE) on the second place after Germany (2.38 MTOE). In contrast to Germany, where more than 70 percent of the potential originates from agricultural sources, about 90 percent of the raw material in Britain comes from landfills.

The figures also furnish evidence of the pressure to act, as residual waste in landfills generates methane gas, which is especially harmful to the climate. In Europe, unused waste is one of the main methane sources. Abandoning the practise of depositing biowaste in landfills could represent a major contribution to the goal of the European Commission to reduce the emission of climate-wrecking gases by 20 percent by 2020.

Jens Albartus, Director of WELtec BioPower GmbH, points to another ecological aspect: „The compost that can be generated from biowaste replaces a growing share of agricu- ltural fertiliser. Compost and digestate provide valuable humus and improve the water storage capacity of agricultural areas. This aspect, which until recently was only rele- vant for Southern European countries, now plays an increasingly important role in other countries, too.“

Established in 2001, WELtec BioPower GmbH in Vechta, Lower Saxony, Germany, is a leading provider of complete biogas plants. Based on the long-standing experience of its parent companies and the modern approach of young engineers, the company, with its staff of close to 60, offers complete biogas plants from one source.

As the hydrogen sulphide and ammonia compounds contained in biogas corrode unprotected parts, WELtec makes use of stainless steel fermenters. This ensures a long useful life of the plant. WELtec BioPower uses only proven system components and develops most of the technologies internally, such as fermenter technology, mixing technology, control technology, hygienisation systems, and digestate processing solutions.

WELtec BioPower biogas plants are characterised by a modular structure. This enables individual and flexible solutions – from compact plants to large computer-controlled plants in the megawatt range, gas processing technology, and waste recycling plants.

By continuously expanding its export rate, WELtec BioPower GmbH is the only leading manufacturer of biogas plants that was able to generate more sales and earnings over the past three years despite the negative market trend.

A key success factor of WELtec BioPower is the quality of the premium plants. Thanks to its advanced production depth, WELtec does not need to outsource any parts or material and guarantees a consistently high quality around the globe.

In 2008, WELtec BioPower GmbH became one of the first providers of complete biogas plants to be certified by TÜV Rheinland according to DIN EN ISO 14001:2004 and the quality management standard DIN EN ISO 9001:2000.

WELtec BioPower GmbH
Zum Langenberg 2
D - 49377 Vechta
Contact: Thomas Wilkens
Phone: +49 (0)4441 / 99 97 8-220
Fax: +49 (0)4441 / 99 97 8-8
E-Mail: T.Wilkens@weltec-biopower.de
www.weltec-biopower.de