Biogas plant, Allendorf

We not only rely on solid, but also on liquid biomass as a renewable form of energy. Biogas can be produced through innovative and environmentally compatible processes and can be deployed to generate heat and power. To this end, an innovative biogas plant was commissioned at the Allendorf site. 

The plant built by BIOFerm GmbH, a member of the Viessmann Group, operates according to the dry fermentation principle used in only a few plants around Hessen. For that reason, this project, the total investment of which amounted to €2.5 million, was granted research and development status. As such, it is now supported by the Ministry for the Environment, Energy, Agriculture and Conservation in Hessen.

Energy from agricultural and landscape waste 

Primarily residues from agriculture and landscaping as well as sustainable raw materials are used in the biogas plant. A substrate of 4500 tonnes per annum generates more than 1.2 million kilowatt hours of electrical energy, and almost 1.5 million kilowatt hours of thermal energy, which are fed into the Viessmann heating network. A CHP module made by the Viessmann Group member ESS with an output of 190 kW (el) and 238 kW (therm) converts the primary biogas energy. 

After the biomass enters the four digesters that are part of the fully automated plant, bacteria ferment the mass under exclusion of air. The bacteria solution required for the fermentation process is contained in a sealed circuit. The gas generated in this fermentation process is drawn off the digester and passed first into a gas tank and from there to the gas engines.

Biogas plant

Strategy for greater use of renewables 

The new biogas plant is part of the sustainability project, Efficiency Plus, at the Viessmann site. Through this project, the company emphasises its commitment to the Allendorf manufacturing site, as well as to the expansion of the use of renewables. The biogas plant ensures a further reduction of CO2 emissions by 500 tonnes per annum. Consequently, renewables now account for 23 percent of current consumption. 

Biomass close at hand 

The project focuses on the principle of sustainability. For that reason, only biomass from the immediate surroundings are used, thereby preventing unnecessary transport whilst actively involving regional farmers as suppliers of the raw material. Consultative support is provided by the Bodenverband Waldeck-Frankenberg, as well as the Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU), for example when selecting the areas to be used so that the effect on the environment is considered at all stages. 

Additional expertise through Schmack Biogas 

Early in 2010, Schmack Biogas – one of the leading German suppliers of biogas plants – became a member of the Viessmann Group. Schmack Biogas offers its services covering project development, raw material management, plant construction, including commissioning, service and plant management. As a result, it is one of the few in this sector that offer a comprehensive service. Technologies and processes for the treatment and feeding-in of biogas are developed by Carbotech GmbH, a member of the Schmack Group. 

The function of Schmack biogas plants is based on the wet fermentation principle (anaerobic fermentation) of base materials such as slurry, grass and energy plants. Through the integration of Schmack and, together with the BIOFerm GmbH, Viessmann now covers the entire biogas technology spectrum.

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