OPTIMAL MUSHROOM GROWTH THANKS TO CHP

ACHP plant with an MWM gas genset ensures high mushroom yields all year round at moderate energy costs for the mushroom producer, the Hajduk Group Sp.z o.o. in Poland. Polygeneration makes it possible.

Poland is the world’s leading exporter of mushrooms and truffles, ahead of China (Statista 2022), and the market leader in European mushroom production.

One of Poland’s leading mushroom and mushroom substrate producers is the Hajduk Group Sp.z o.o. The Hajduk Group produces around 160 tonnes of mushrooms per week in four cultivation plants.

As mushrooms are energy-intensive in production, the company already invested in a CHP plant in 2018. The cogeneration plant with an MWM TCG 2020 V16 gas genset was supplied by the official MWM distributor in Poland, Centrum Elektroniki Stosowanej CES Sp. z o.o..

Using polygeneration, the plant produces electricity and heat but also cooling and steam for mushroom cultivation.

Best conditions for mushroom cultivation

For a year-round harvest, mushrooms need stable growing conditions with the proper humidity and temperature.

Typically, this means cooling in summer and heating in winter with the help of air conditioning. Mushrooms are energy-intensive to produce.

The energy costs of the production facilities, therefore, significantly affect the mushrooms’ final price.

To keep these costs as low as possible, the polygeneration plant supplied by Centrum Elektroniki Stosowanej CES Sp. z o.o. is based on CHP. Liquefied natural gas is used as fuel.

Agricultural production plants far from conurbations and large cities often have limited connection options to the natural gas grid. To operate a CHP plant, Hajduk Group relies on LNG for its CHP plant with a capacity of over 1.5 MWe. With this solution, polygeneration plants can be installed almost anywhere.

Engine exhaust heat for cooling

Thanks to the additional equipment, the CHP plant generates steam and cooling, electrical energy, and heat. The plant is powered by an MWM TCG 2020 V16 gas genset with an electrical output of 1,560 kW and a thermal output of 1,580 kW.

In the cooling halls where the mushroom substrate is produced, an absorption chiller uses the exhaust heat from the MWM gas genset to generate cooling for the halls.

The absorption chiller has a capacity of 720 kW. Steam is used to sterilise the refrigeration halls between production cycles.

For this purpose, the high-temperature heat of the exhaust gases is used in the steam generator, which supplies 1,060 kg/h of steam at nine bar to the additional equipment, the CHP plant generates steam and cooling, electrical energy, and heat. The plant is powered by an MWM TCG 2020 V16 gas genset with an electrical output of 1,560 kW and a thermal output of 1,580 kW. pressure. The hot water is also used for washing and other technical purposes. CHP plant enables independent and flexible energy supply

In typical operation, the CHP plant with the MWM gas genset covers the entire demand for heating, cooling, steam, and electricity of the production facility at Hajduk Group.

Part of the electrical energy is used on hot summer days for additional cooling. In winter, the halls can, in turn, be heated with heat from the CHP plant.

The polygeneration system offers flexibly controllable energy generation with a heat and cooling supply. This allows Hajduk Group to maintain optimal production conditions for the popular edible mushrooms all year round while saving energy costs through the combined production of the different media.

The MWM TCG 2020 V16 gas gensets offer the highest ratings in ecology and economy:

- Output range from 1,000 to 1,560 kWel

- Best electrical and thermal efficiency in its output class

- Runs on all gas types: natural gas, biogas, landfill gas, sewage gas, mine gas, etc.

- Low operating costs.

The TCG 2020 is mainly used for CHP plants in Europe and for biogas worldwide.

The MWM gas gensets of the TCG 2020 series are perfectly geared to the challenges of a dynamic market environment.

The models in the output range of 1,000 – 1,560 kWel are said to meet the high requirements of a broad range of applications and offer efficiency, reliability, flexibility and environmental sustainability, together with low lifecycle costs and high profitability. www.mwm.net