CHP biogas network to power German city

A biogas-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) network is being installed in the north-west of Germany that will provide low-carbon power to the city of Lunen

Members of the community will be able to take advantage of the alternative power generation system that will be fuelled by animal waste, corn, wheat and grass.

Anaerobic digesters convert the cow dung, horse manure and other agricultural feedstock into biogas, according to Alfagy, the UK partner of Schmitt Enertec GmbH, which was selected to provide vital infrastructure to the project.

A biogas power plant will generate 6.8MW of power, enough to supply heat and electricity to 26,000 houses via the pipe network.

In total, 12 Schmitt Enertec cogeneration units will be used to feed electricity into the grid and heat into the local heating network.

Peter Kindt, chairman of Alfagy, said: "What makes this project exciting is the combination of cogeneration with renewable energy in an urban environment."

According to Cogen Europe, a not-for-profit group representing the continent's cogeneration industry, district heating and cooling networks allow CHP to provide towns and cities with energy savings of up to 40 percent.