Two modern biomass cogeneration plants at Prüm and Garant will provide renewable energy in future. Using combined heat and power, these assets will cover round half of the electricity requirement and the entire heat requirement of the two factories. The assets will be fuelled with production residues, i.e. wood waste from door production.
New biomass cogeneration plants for greater efficiency and climate protection
The background to the investment in the new biomass cogeneration plants (BMHKW) was, on the one hand, the previous heating systems at Prüm and Garant, which needed to be modernised after 30 years. On the other hand, innovations in the German administrative regulation on keeping the air clean brought stricter emission standards, which made it necessary to fit the plant technology. The design of both assets was therefore started, which could be junctioned with Arbonia's climate targets. The new CHP plants can replace an existing, less efficient CHP plant at Prüm and smaller decentralised heating systems, including heating oil systems, at both Prüm and Garant. The CHP plant at Prüm went into operation in the year 2024, while the assets at GARANT are expected to be finished in 2025.
The technology of a BMHKW is based on the energetic utilisation of biomass as fuel. Production waste such as wood dust and uncontaminated, shredded wood-based materials are burned, producing steam at a very high pressure. The resulting heat is utilised in different operations and production processes, while the steam creates electricity using a steam turbine. This multiple utilisation of the steam corresponds to highly efficient power-heat cogeneration.
The aim is to use the new CHP plants to cover the heat requirements of the Prüm and Garant factories with complete self-generated energy. The rate of self-generated electricity should account for a good half of the total demand. An important advantage of the BMHKW is the switch to renewable energy sources and the replacement of fossil energy sources. Furthermore, the production waste is efficiently utilised in line with the circular economy. By incinerating it, greenhouse gases are avoided that would be produced by rotting or incineration without energy recovery. In addition, emissions from the transport of waste over long distances and disposal costs can be saved. As well as contributing to sustainability, the energy generation plants will bring long-term economic benefits asCO2 taxes can be saved.
The local community at the sites has responded positively to the use of wood waste to generate energy. The use of modern flue gas filter technology improves air quality. The assets at Prüm operate continuously, allowing electricity to be fed into the grid on non-production days. In addition, unused heat is passed on to neighbouring companies, which ensures efficient use of resources and contributes to regional value creation.
