Energy from biomass Schnell Motoren

ENERGY FROM BIOMASS

Schnell Motoren is world market leader in dual fuel CHP units, and also builds gas CHP units and biomass power plants. Marco Siebel spoke with the director of international sales, Wolfgang Jörger, about how the company has doubled its number of employees since 2010, and about its ambitious plans to launch two new products.

Schnell Motoren AG in south Germany, just north of the magnificent Bodensee, has been building combined heat and power units (CHP units) since 1992.

Over 3000 Schnell Motoren CHP units have been installed worldwide. Their total electrical power output is over 630 megawatts – equivalent to the annual electricity supply of around 1.5 million average households.

Biomass is an important element in the renewable energy mix. In Germany, renewables make up a good 20 per cent share of total energy generation. Of this energy, around 6 percent comes from biomass. A sustainable supply of energy from biomass requires effective and user-friendly technologies. Schnell Motoren aims to further increase energy efficiency, to save feedstock and to increase energy yields sustainably.

From 1992, in the pioneering days of the biogas sector, Hans-Jürgen Schnell developed the first biogas plants that were successfully used in the subsequent years. In order to generate electricity from biogas, Schnell developed the Schnell dual fuel CHP unit based on proven diesel engine technology. The special features of the dual fuel CHP unit are its reliable startup behaviour and the fact that it has had the highest efficiency values in the sector from the very beginning. In 2000, Schnell Motoren started to concentrate on its core expertise and specialise in the development and production of CHP units for the generation of energy from lean gases. Besides biogas, this also includes landfill gas and sewage gas and wood gas.

Wide range

Starting with small units of up to 75kW particularly suitable for use in liquid manure plants, Schnell Motoren also offers units within the power range of 460 to 625kW, reaching an efficiency of up to 47 per cent.

Schnell Motoren’s award winning ignition system enables ignition to be accurately

controlled, in order to ensure optimum utilisation of the energy in the biogas.

The dual fuel CHP units come in sizes producing from 75kW to 1040kW, and feature a powerful V12 engine, a PLC control unit with touchscreen and remote monitoring over a broadband connection, a double bearing synchronous generator, a common rail injection system with Schnell Motoren control electronics, a two-stage water-to-air charge air cooling system, an exhaust heat exchanger made from high-grade stainless steel, and a gas turbine in the exhaust branch enabling enhanced effectiveness.

Wolfgang Jörger said “We are currently testing two new units in a power range of 1.5MW to 1.6MW. We expect to launch these CHP units in 2015.”

Gas CHP units

Biogas, sewage gas or landfill gas can be effectively converted to electricity and heat with Schnell Motoren gas CHP units.

Wolfgang Jörger continued “When the world market leader for dual fuel CHP units and the developer of BlueRail technology are working together, this will result in a new and powerful CHP unit series: gas gensets with the highest efficiency values.”

The gas CHP units come in sizes producing from 75kW to 600kW, and feature a new model of gas genset series with high efficiency values, an integrated agrogen BlueRail gas injection system (model-specific), a PLC control unit with touchscreen and remote monitoring over a broadband connection, a double bearing synchronous generator, a two-stage water-to-air charge air cooling system, an exhaust heat exchanger made from high-grade stainless steel, and a turbocompounder in the exhaust branch enabling enhanced effectiveness.

Bright future

Schnell Motoren expects to continue expanding worldwide, and has plans to open offices in Europe and Asia – in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, France and the UK, and in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

The company has seen its number of employees steadily grow from over 200 in 2010 to over 500 in 2013. They generated a turnover exceeding €138 million in 2011. The majority of turnover generation is expected to shift from Germany to worldwide from 2013 on.

Wolfgang Jörger concluded “Biogas units and natural gas units are being developed to fulfil demands. Schnell CHP units produce electrical energy from low calorific gas as well as natural gas in a highly efficient way. They fulfil decentral energy supply requirements and offer innovative ways for agricultural as well as industrial energy production.” n