AWARD-WINNING GREEN VILLAGE PRODUCES SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FROM BIOMETHANE

An innovative energy project is currently being rolled out in Alfhausen in Germany’s Osnabrück Land region, reports MWM.

The project demonstrates how it will be possible to implement smart, flexible heat supply in the future. Two containerised cogeneration power plants, each of which is powered by an MWM TCG 3020 V20 gas genset, form the core of the project.

The Alfhausen cogeneration power plant is the first of three biomethane district heat projects to be rolled out in the Osnabrück region. Even before the go-live, the Alfhausen cogeneration power plant won an award as a lighthouse project for outstanding climate protection projects as part of the overall “Green Village” concept. MWM gas gensets now form the core of the Alfhausen District Heat Network.

Since the autumn of 2022 the new Alfhausen cogeneration power plant has been producing heat and power for the local population.

The plant is based in Alfhausen’s new industrial zone “Am Waller Esch” located opposite the local transformer station. The plant makes it possible to feed the power produced by the MWM gas gensets through combined heat and power (CHP) generation directly into the public power grid.

The heat generated by the engines will be transported to the connected homes in Alfhausen through a pipeline network.

The district heat network in Alfhausen was established by Rasche & Weßler GmbH, a local company specialising in energy management and automation technology. The concept is based on the use of biomethane as a regenerative energy source and fuel for the MWM gas gensets.

Biomethane, which is produced by treating biogas, is a renewable energy source which is capable of replacing natural gas, a fossil energy source.

The gas comes from the natural gas network of Westnetz GmbH in Osnabrück. Additionally, biogas from various biogas plants in Germany is fed into the natural gas network at another location.

In this way, the natural gas becomes ‘eco-gas’, which is used as fuel for the gas genset. Apart from the new plant, the industrial zone also hosts a hot water storage tank with a capacity of approximately 2,500 m3.

The water will be heated using the exhaust heat of the two MWM gas gensets and be transported to the individual homes through the district heat network. In the event of a cogeneration power plant outage or unexpected cold spells, the storage facility can be used as an additional buffer in order to continue to supply

Alfhausen with heat for several days.

The 19-km district heat network is being set up by Rasche & Weßler GmbH.

The development started in 2021 and will be ready for operation by the end of 2023.

The two TCG 3020 V20 gas gensets were delivered by Caterpillar Energy Solutions in Mannheim, Germany. Since a TCG 3020 V20 gas genset delivers an electrical output of 2,300 kW, the cogeneration power plant has a total output of 4.6 MW.

Deploying gas engines

“From the outset, we knew that we were going to deploy MWM gas engines”, says Ralf Wessler, Managing Partner at Rasche & Weßler GmbH.

“We are familiar with the technology, and we know that the large engines from Mannheim are very reliable and powerful.

“Another important criterion is the quick and comprehensive service provided by MWM, which guarantees high plant availability.”

From the start, the sustainable, trend-setting supply concept in Alfhausen has been attracting a lot of attention.

In recent months, the demand for district heat network connections underwent a sharp increase.

Up to 1,000 homes can be supplied through the district heat network. Thanks to the co-operation with Glasfaser Nordwest, it was possible to implement the district heat network without redundant construction measures. The result: a climate-friendly infrastructure.

CHP Flagship Project with Pioneer Function

The overall ‘Green Village’ concept with the Alfhausen energy plant, which won an award in the ‘Klima Kommunal 2022’ contest, is the first of three CHP generation projects implemented in the vicinity of Osnabrück.

In Fürstenau, 25 km from Alfhausen, an identical district heat plant is being built and is set to go live in 2023. Another 9-MW biomethane plant is being planned just a few miles from the Alfhausen plant. www.mwm.net