Germany’s largest biogas producer looks back on one year of bio-LNG and CO2 liquefaction
Lohne/Saerbeck, August 21, 2024 One year after the grand opening, the managing directors of Germany’s largest integrated bio-LNG liquefaction plant in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern report a thoroughly positive outcome: “With up to 25,000 kg of bio-LNG per day, we’re setting the bar very high in the market,” says Jens Flerlage, Managing Director of EnviTec Bioenergie Güstrow GmbH. “The carbon-neutral fuel we purchase from Güstrow has been in use on Europe’s roads ever since, contributing to the decarbonization of heavy goods transport,” reports EnviTec customer Silvano Calcagno, Managing Director of LIQVIS GmbH.
Downstream carbon dioxide liquefaction (LCO2) is also in demand. “The up to 18,000 tons of food-grade LCO2 produced each year are purchased entirely by our customer Carbo Kohlensäurewerke GmbH & Co. KG,” explains Mathias Gastler, Co-Managing Director of EnviTec Bioenergie Güstrow GmbH. There is currently a lot of interest in LCO2. Bio-LCO2 is a real all-rounder that is used in areas such as food preservation, the beverage and chemical industries, welding work, and air conditioning systems.
Germany’s largest biogas producer, EnviTec Biogas, operates the 20-hectare plant as an independent supplier of green fuel. “A great deal of intuition and an investment volume of over EUR 50 million were required before the opening ceremony in August last year,” concludes von Lehmden. “We’re currently in the process of expanding the plant,” says von Lehmden. The plant stands out above all for its flexibility: “It allows us to liquefy biomethane fed into the natural gas network,” Gastler continues.
A milestone in the company’s history
With the plant, the biogas all-rounder has created a true flagship project. “The fact that everything is going so well is a fantastic team effort that we can all be proud of,” the two Managing Directors agree. The dependency of the individual process steps is many times more complex than in pure biogas plant construction. “Our experience from over 20 years of plant construction and operation goes hand in hand with the expertise of our colleagues from energy marketing,” emphasizes CEO Olaf von Lehmden. This interdisciplinary interaction provides the basis and paves the way for this new milestone in the company’s history and toward the green gas transition.
