EnviTec Biogas impresses German customers with ORC technology
More than half of the energy used worldwide in the industrial and agricultural sectors is lost as waste heat. The sustainable use of the waste heat thus opens up new avenues for alternative generation of electric energy not just in Germany. It is primarily the biogas plant operators who profit from the rotation principle of Organic Rankine Cycle technology (ORC), which the biogas plant manufacturer EnviTec Biogas of Lower Saxony is already using successfully at various plants in Germany, the Czech Republic and Belgium.
“ORC technology increases the electrical efficiency of the biogas plant by generating additional electricity from the waste heat. This electricity is then fed into the public grid along with the electricity produced by the biogas plant”, explains Jürgen Tenbrink, Chief Technology Officer at the company based in Lohne. The additional electricity generated from the same input has a correspondingly positive effect on the revenues.
Now the operators of WoDo Bioenergie GmbH & Co. KG are using this advantage in the Lower Saxony city Bergen. The 1052 kW EnviTec biogas plant will soon attain an additional output of 88 kW due to the ORC technology for waste heat installed by GE Jenbacher. The investment in an ORC plant is profitable for the operators: “Our expenses will be paid off in just five years”, says Manfred Hemme, manager of WoDo Bioenergie. But, in addition to the monetary advantages, ecological reasons also played an important role in opting for the new plant. Apart from the additionally generated electricity, enough waste heat will still be left for the fermentation process after the start-up of the plant which is planned for the end of 2013.
The system was originally developed for operating steam turbines with an alternative means to water vapour. Today, it serves in transporting the waste heat generated in a co-generation plant during the generation of electricity to the ORC cycle via a carrier medium. The supply of heat causes the organic working fluid to vaporise. The vapour is then fed through a turbine and converted into electrical energy using a generator. The working fluid is then liquefied in a condenser and fed into the rotation process. The electrical energy generated is fed into the public power grid. Since the ORC plants are closed, simple and modular systems, they are impressive primarily due to their low costs and maintenance.
About EnviTec Biogas AG
EnviTec Biogas AG covers the entire value chain for the production of biogas: including the planning and turnkey construction of biogas plants as well as their commissioning. The company takes charge of biological and technical services on demand and also offers full plant and operational management. In addition, EnviTec also operates its own biogas plants. In 2011 EnviTec Biogas established EnviTec Energy GmbH & Co. KG and its 100% subsidiary EnviTec Stromkontor GmbH & Co. KG, expanding its business operations into the direct marketing of upgraded biomethane as well as the marketing of green electricity and balancing energy. Today, Today, EnviTec Biogas AG is worldwide active in 20 countries. In 2012 EnviTec generated revenues of € 190.5 million and an EBIT of € 1.3 million. The EnviTec Group currently has 362 employees. EnviTec has been listed on the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since July 2007.