Lichtensee
Bio natural gas plant
In the year 2011 the Danpower group of companies built a biogas plant at their Lichtensee location for the production of bio (natural) gas. In addition to the conventional use of biogas in a combined heating and power unit for renewable power and heat generation this was the first time the company installed a biogas processing plant. Thus, the biogas generated will be upgraded to natural gas quality and fed into the supply grid of the regional gas network operator. 700 Nm³ green biogas (biomethane) per hour can be produced in this way.
The gas is used in combined heating and power units which are built at the heating supply plants of Danpower. The electricity generated at the site is fed into the supply grid, the heat is used for the plant’s own supply.
Operating the plant facilitates carbon dioxide savings of 20,000 t per year. The biogas plant processes exclusively renewable raw materials (NaWaRo) in the form of maize, whole plant and grass silage as well as cereal grain in smaller amounts. The materials used will be stored and preserved at the biogas plant in a compaction silo with a storage capacity of about 60,000 t.
The digestate substances from the process, about 45,000 t annually, are separated into solid and liquid parts and passed on to the surrounding farms as high-quality fertilizer.
| Plant data | |
| Location | Alter Sportplatz 1, 01609 Wülknitz, OT Lichtensee |
| Commissioning |
2011 CHP 2012 Biogas plant |
| Footprint/cultivation area | Approx. 1,800 ha (2700 ac) |
| Full-load operation | 2013 |
| Annual biogas yield | 13,000,000 Nm³ for use to upgrade biogas to biomethane |
| Amount of electricity generated annually | 27,700 MWh (equivalent) |
| Outputel (CHP) | 1.191MW |
| Outputth (CHP) | 1.186 MW |
| Investment total | About 14 million EUR |
| Annual substrate throughput | 65,000 t of maize, whole plant silage, Sudan grass, grass silage, cereal grain |
| The fermenting stage operation | 365 d/a |
| Duration/temperature | 45 d / 45°C |
| Fermenting method | Two-stage mesophilic dry fermentation method |
| Amount of ferment produced |
33,000 t/a liquid 12,000 t/a solid |
| CO2 savings* | 20,000 t/a |
*Compared to fossil fuels
The brochure for our biogas plant can be found here.