Weltec Biopower building giant biogas plant in Germany

Already having built more than 200 biogas plants across Europe, Weltec Biopower GmbH has begun construction of another, to be one of Germany’s largest when completed, according to the company.

Located in Arneburg, Stendal District, Saxony-Anhalt, the plant will generate 6 million cubic meters of biogas annually, and will consist of four fermenters, six digestate storage tanks and one liquid reservoir.

Feedstock for the plant will come from 30 area farms. The company said the plant’s 6-hectare (15 acres) site was chosen carefully so the farmers who will also use the digestate do not need to travel more than nine miles, on average, for substrate deliveries.

Weltec Biopower plans to purify the biogas and feed it into the natural gas grid. It should be enough to supply 5,000 homes with power and heat, or power 4,200 cars with an annual milage of about 18,000 miles, according to the company.

Jens Albartus, director of Weltec Biopower, said the refinery will start feeding its first biomethane into the grid in December, and that about 10 permanent jobs and two training positions would result from the facility’s existence.

The plant will be operated by Nordmethan Produktion Arneburg GmbH.