Biomethane plant fires up
25 Jun 2013
Built in the shadow of the old Arneburg nuclear power plant, the refinery has the capacity to supply 5,000 homes with energy.
In contrast to its nuclear counterpart, the biomethane refinery, situated in the Altmark Industrial and Commercial Zone, has been supplying the grid since May 2013.
The plant boasts four digesters sizing 4,900 m3, six digestate storage units measuring 5,000 m3 and a liquid reservoir capable of producing 1,650 standard m3 of raw biogas per hour.
The refinery demonstrates that we must provide the right answer to the growing demand for biomethane
Some .250 m3 of the raw material produced is currently being used for the heat and power of the entire plant.
The gas, by means of chemical amine treatment, is converted into roughly 700 standard m3 of processed biomethane every hour, with a methane content of 99%.
To supply local homes with power and heat, a solid matter dosing feed loads maize silage, sugar beets, chicken manure and water as substrates into the stainless-steel digesters.
Jens Albartus, director of WELTEC Biopower, commented: “The biomethane refinery in Arneburg demonstrates that we must provide the right answer to the growing demand for biomethane for the various utilisation paths.”
Additionally, the industrial area is home to a cellulose production plant run by Zellstoff Stendal which converts tree bark waste into energy for the surrounding region.
