Schwandorf -
Europe's Largest Biomethane Plant
We believe that in the future, biomethane will be a valuable option for environmentally friendly energy generation. For this reason, we are making concrete plans for expansion in this area by building further biomethane plants.
New energy through local energy sources
Through our plans for biomethane plants, we can unlock a local, environmentally friendly energy source. This could, for example, compensate for the declining biomethane extraction for the time being. This is a step in the right direction towards an environmentally friendly and safe means of generating energy in the future.
The energy and agricultural sectors working hand in hand
Helping to ensure a reliable supply of biomethane is our role as an energy provider. It's just there that natural gas technology comes into its own. Around 100 farmers in the region deliver the biomass from which the biomethane for use in energy production is produced. For some farmers, the production of energy crops unlocks a completely new source of revenue.
Biomethane - produced cleanly in Schwandorf
In Schwandorf, even the fuel requirements of the drawing vehicles (tractors) are planned for. Because in the future, we and our partners will place great value on only using tractors characterized by their low diesel consumption. In this way, both the transport costs for the energy crops and the negative effect on the environment will be kept as low as possible.
Our raw materials- a plant mixture from local fields
From an economic, and most importantly from an ecological standpoint, the generation of biomethane makes sense only if energy crops don't have to be transported over great distances to the facility. That's just the reason why in Schwandorf, we exclusively use energy crops that grow on the surrounding fields in the local area. Imports from non-EU countries will not even be considered for this facility.
What's more, Schwandorf is being run using a mixture of plants, not just with corn. A large part of these energy crops is made up of grass and catch crops. Above all, this is because catch crops have the advantage that they do not compete in any way with food crops. They grow in the time between the main crop cycles. Plants such as clover grass, lupine, buckwheat, or wild radish will flourish regardless of when they are sown, even in spring, autumn or winter.
This type of crop rotation doesn't just ease the competition for field space in food production; rather it also increases the fertility and health of the soil. In comparison to facilities of a similar size, the requirement for arable land is thereby reduced by approximately one third.
