Townspeople as initiators

Technical Data
Start of operation: June 2006
Capacity: 500 kW el. two-step plant with a retention time of 180 days (digester + post-digester)
Input: Corn silage, rye silage, sorghum silage and sunflower silage

Thermal heat utilization: Households, public buildings, drying of grains and rapeseed (3,000 t) during the summer

Dedicated citizens of Lenthe, which were members of the club “Community Heating Lenthe” initiated an exceptional concept. The biogas plant of the Joint Farming Operation Lenthe produces with its CHPs approximately 4,400,000 kWh electricity each year.

The idea was, instead of letting the engine heat escape to the atmosphere, the engine heat should be used for heating homes and for heating water. This concept worked out fine. 25 buildings are already connected to the heating pipeline: New single-family homes, old half-timbered houses, a church building…

The cost for the construction of this heating pipeline as well as maintenance is paid for by the club; however, the connections to their homes have to be paid by the end-users themselves. These households do need neither heating oil nor natural gas, which translates to cost savings in a period of rising energy prices. Because the households already connected to the heating pipeline use up the thermal heat only a few days a year, talk about a second pipeline has already begun.

An exemplary, citizen-friendly project, which was visited by Lower Saxony’s prime minister as well. 

For further information: www.gutsgemeinschaft.de