WELTEC Builds 1 MW Biogas Plant in Hungary

In April, WELTEC BIOPOWER started building a biogas plant in Szeged, Southern Hungary. The client and operator is Zöldforrás Energia, a subsidiary of the Hungarian power supplier DÉMÁSZ. The 1 MW plant, which comprises two CHPs with an output of 600 kW/h each, will generate power and heat from pig manure and maize silage starting from end of 2011 on. The substrate will be supplied by farmers in the vicinity of the site. In turn, the farmers will use the digestate left over from the biogas production process as fertiliser for their fields. The generated heat will be used to heat office buildings.

The WELTEC biogas plant comprises two 3,000 cubic metres fermenters with double-membrane roofs. Thus, the fermenters have a gas buffer capacity of 1,016 cubic metres each. Additionally, an external 650 cubic metres gas storage tank will be installed on site (see figure). The objective is to benefit from the electricity prices, which are twice as high at daytime, in the best way possible. Thus, the biogas will be collected in the fermenter storage tank and in the external gas storage tank at night, and the two CHP modules will run under full load at daytime. One of the reasons why Zöldforrás Energia awarded the contract to WELTEC and the Hungarian sales partner Inwatech was that WELTEC systems not only provide a high power and heat yield, but also guarantee low internal energy consumption.

Being determined to push ahead power generation on the basis of renewable energies, Hungary promotes the establishment of biogas plants by means of one-time financial subsidies and other means. According to the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the subsidies are expected to play a key role in increasing the share of renewable energies in the energy consumption to 13 percent by 2020. At present, there are 12 biogas plants throughout the country. Another 40 are in the planning stage or already under construction. By 2020, the biogas capacity is to be expanded to a total of about 32 MW, which would represent a 5 percent share of biogas in the energy generation from renewable energies.

Most of the projects will be launched in connection with subsidised investments in animal husbandry. Previously, the long amortisation periods proved to be an obstacle to investments. For this reason, the feed-in tariffs and other factors are being examined. While biogas and natural gas are presently subject to equal tariffs, biogas is to be given preference in the grid in the future. Hungary already has an efficient natural gas grid and is thus well prepared for the global trend to use natural gas and biogas for generating electricity.

German-based WELTEC BIOPWER celebrates ist 10th anniversary and is one of the pioneers of the constructors biogas plants. Based on the modern approach of experienced engineers, the company from Vechta (Lower Saxony) with its expertise of a staff of close to 80, offers complete biogas plants from one source and has developed to a leading constructor of biogas plants in the world.
One of the main strengths of the medium-sized enterprise is the ability to deliver individual and flexible solutions – from compact plants to large computer-controlled plants in the megawatt range, waste recycling plants, and biogas parks with gas processing technology.
The plants have a modular structure. WELTEC BIOPOWER uses only proven system components and develops most of the technologies along the entire value chain internally: fermenter technology, mixing technology, control technology, hygienisation systems, and digestate processing solutions originate from the company.
As the hydrogen sulphide and ammonia compounds contained in biogas corrode unprotected parts, WELTEC builds the fermenters from stainless steel. This ensures a long useful life of the plant. The manufacturing depth also guarantees a consistently high standard regardless of the location and ensures an export rate that is far above the industry average.
In 2010, the plants of WELTEC received the „DLG FokusTest“ certification from the German Agri- cultural Association (DLG) in recognition of their excellent biogas yield.

WELTEC BIOPOWER GmbH
Zum Langenberg 2
49377 Vechta

Thomas Wilkens Marketing
Phone: +49 4441/99978-220
Email: t.wilkens@weltec-biopower.de

www.weltec-biopower.de

This release was published on openPR.