MVV Energie and BayWa r.e. join forces in biomethane generation
Construction starts on joint high-efficiency plant owned by both project partners in Stassfurt/ Sachsen-Anhalt - Heating and electricity for more than 6,000 families
The Mannheim-based energy group MVV Energie and the Munich-based energy company BayWa r.e. are jointly investing more than Euro 14 million in a high-efficiency biomethane plant in Stassfurt in the Magdeburger Börde region (Sachsen-Anhalt). Construction work for the project has now started. From May 2015, this plant should feed bionatural gas resulting from environmentally-friendly generation into the public grid. MVV Energie already operates two comparable plants in the region. "We are making targeted investments in forward-looking renewable energies projects in order to contribute to the successful conversion in the German energy system while also laying foundations for our further sustainable, profitable growth", commented Dr. Georg Müller, CEO of MVV Energie. "We are delighted to be implementing the Stassfurt project together with MVV Energie and to draw on synergies along the way. By generating biomethane, we are making a key contribution towards the future energy supply – using clean, renewable raw materials to produce base load-capable energy", stressed Matthias Taft, CEO of BayWa r.e.
With an electrical capacity of around three megawatts, the Stassfurt biomethane plant will ferment around 62,000 tonnes of substrate a year. Alongside energy plants such as maize and sugar beet, the plant will also use cuttings and winter crops. This substrate mix helps to avoid monocultures and thus makes particular sense from an ecological perspective. The resultant biogas will be purified on location into biomethane of natural gas quality. When turned into electricity in decentralised combined heat and power plants, this will produce enough green electricity to supply a theoretical total of 6,000 families. It will also enable 1,200 households to cover their heating energy needs.
MVV Energie owns 74.9 percent of the plant and BayWa r.e. holds a 25.1 percent stake. Technical operations management will be performed by inhouse staff at the jointly founded operating company on location in Stassfurt. To this end, MVV Energie and BayWa r.e. will be recruiting new employees from the region.
Biomethane plants generate environmentally-friendly biomethane around the clock regardless of wind conditions or solar radiation levels. Biomethane can be stored and used, irrespective of where or when it is generated, either to produce electricity and heating energy or to fuel natural gas vehicles. The longterm partner for purchasing and marketing the gas is the Munich-based company bmp greengas GmbH.
BayWa r.e. at a glance
BayWa r.e. renewable energy GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BayWa AG and pools group renewable energy activities. Founded in 2009 and based in Munich, BayWa r.e. acts as the holding company for several companies in the fields of solar energy, wind energy, bioenergy and geothermal energy.
Business activities at BayWa r.e. range from project development and implementation via PV trading through to consulting services. In its service division, BayWa r.e. offers all services required for profes-sional technical plant management, including maintenance, and also offers commercial operations management. Its range of services also includes directly marketing electricity from renewable energies, biomethane trading and selling green electricity and green gas to private and commercial customers. The company has international operations in its core markets of Europe and the USA.
BayWa AG, Munich, is a listed trading and services group with international operations. Its core business segments are Agriculture, Building Materials and Energy.
