Mr Pfaffenbach’s heat utilisation concept serves as a showcase project for an entire industry.
Rigo Biogas GmbH, based in Morschen, Hesse, has been operating a biogas plant based on renewable raw materials and farm manure since 2010. ‘After the initial experience with our 250 kilowatt plant, it quickly became clear that the profitability of the biogas plant was not assured without a heating concept, so the plant was continuously expanded from 2011,’ explains owner Ottmar Pfaffenbach.
Today, two further combined heat and power plants are located at the satellite site 1,400 metres away from the plant and a very effective heating and cooling concept is operated directly next to a monastery and an adjoining conference hotel. ‘To optimise the degree of utilisation of the waste heat, we have installed a sorption cooling system with a rated output of
105 kilowatts installed. The waste heat from the combined heat and power plant is used to generate cooling at around 6 degrees Celsius, which is used for air conditioning in the monastery hotel. The average heat extraction rate at the monastery site is 97 per cent and so, as a biogas plant, we are actively contributing to an improved environment,’ reports Pfaffenbach.
In the federal state of Hesse, stricter requirements apply to installed catalytic converters: for example, an accredited emissions measurement that is approved by the authorities may only be carried out three months after the installation of a new catalytic converter. This is to ensure that the emission limits are not only complied with for the measurement, but also permanently. As a self-monitoring measure, Mr Pfaffenbach therefore carries out a voluntary monthly measurement of his catalytic converters using Emission Partner’s rapid formaldehyde tester. ‘The measurement only takes 15 minutes and the device is very easy to use. The formaldehyde values of my catalytic converters installed in January 2018 were still below 10 mg/Nm³ at the last measurement in August 2018,’ says Pfaffenbach.
‘Thanks to Emission Partner’s wide range of products, I was able to reduce the number of different suppliers and the associated workload, which means I have more time for my agricultural business,’ describes Pfaffenbach.
Engines:
SCHNELL-Scania ES2507 (250 kW)
Agrogen-BGA 158 (265 kW)
2G-Agenitor 406 (250 kW)
2G-Agenitor 406 (250 kW)
