MVV Energie, BayWa start work on EUR-14m biomethane plant in Saxony-Anhalt

Jun 27, 2014 - German utility MVV Energie AG (ETR:MVV1) and green energy specialist BayWa re will invest over EUR 14 million (USD 19m) in a highly efficient biomethane plant in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Construction of the plant in the town of Stassfurt has begun and gas injections into the grid are expected to commence in May 2015, MVV Energie said in a statement Thursday. The company holds a 74.9% stake in the project, while the remaining 25.1% are in the hands of the renewable energy unit of German agricultural cooperative BayWa (ETR:BYW6).

The biomethane produced at the new plant will be used for the generation of 3 MW of power and additional heat. The developers calculate that the plant will be able to meet the electricity needs of 6,000 households and also supply heat for 1,200 homes. Apart from burning it for power generation and heat, the gas can also be stored into the local gas grid.

The facility will process some 62,000 tonnes of fermented substrate mix, consisting of energy crops such as maize and sugar beet, green waste and winter fruit, MVV Energie said. The produced biogas will be upgraded on-site into natural gas-quality biomethane. The plant will be operated by a joint unit of MVV Energie and BayWa based in Stassfurt.

MVV Energie already has two similar biomethane plants in the region.

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