Technical Data
Start of operation: April 2007
Capacity: Sale of gas, two-step plant with a retention time of 140 days (digester + post-digester)

Input: Corn silage

This biogas plant, planned by the local machinery syndicate and E.ON, was inaugurated personally by Bavarian agriculture minister Josef Miller. 17 local farmers are involved in this project, which supply the plant with the necessary substrate for gas production. This plant attained full load after only eight weeks of operation.

Biogas is not converted to electricity on-site, in contrast to the other 1350 biogas plants currently operated in Bavaria. In fact, biogas is transported from the point of production to the location where all electricity and thermal heat can be used entirely. In this case, it is the military base “Saaleck” in Hammelburg.

At this location, biogas is turned to electricity in a CHP operated by the energy provider E.ON and the thermal heat produced is used to heat the barracks, as well as to provide hot water to the barracks. The produced electricity, which is fed into the electric grid can supply up to 1500 households with electricity.Since there is no more thermal heat available to heat the digester, this task falls to a pellet heating unit.

This project is a win-win situation for all involved. The farmers have an additional source of income, the energy provider reduces its dependency on natural gas imports and the military barracks are supplied with heat and hot water.