Biogas Success - Weltec Biopower To Build Piddlehinton AD Plant 1.1 MW Extension

Weltec Biopower Awarded 1.1 MW Piddlehinton AD Plant Extension

A highly successful food waste biogas plant constructed by Weltec, after only 2 years of operation is being enlarged. Now there's confidence in the profitability of food waste anaerobic digestion!

Watch our video on this project below:

Press release · Communiqué de presse

Vechta, September 2014: 

WELTEC BIOPOWER receives order for 1.1 MW extension in Dorset

Award-Winning AD plant processes food waste to energy

Weltec Biopower (UK) Ltd, based in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, UK, has been granted the contract to extend the award-winning food waste AD plant in Piddlehinton, Dorset. Plant owners Eco Sustainable Solutions Ltd. are expanding with a further 1.1MW of food waste processing capacity. 

This follows on from the Weltec successes of commissioning two other plants in early 2014. The original Eco-Dorset AD plant was also built by WELTEC and was commissioned in 2012. After two years of successful operation, the operator assigned WELTEC with the extension. The extension will be completed in autumn 2014. 

Another advantage core to WELTEC’s continued success in industrial and agricultural applications is the fact that the digesters and digestate storage tanks are constructed from stainless steel. Aside from being a higher-quality product, stainless steel and is corrosion resistant to aggressive materials and offers a faster construction time, which is increasingly important to all developers with the FIT framework deadlines providing tight construction windows. 

Watch our new video "How Does a Biogas plant Work?"

After two years of successful operation, the operator assigned WELTEC with the extension. The extension will be completed in autumn 2014. The plant is fed by local authority food waste as well as out of date food products which prior to digestion are unpackaged, sorted and pasteurised at the site. After the extension, approximately 37,000 tpa of food waste will generate an electrical output of 1.6 MW. 

The Eco-Dorset approach is an excellent example of the benefits of intelligent design, co-location and mutually beneficial plant integration. Electricity generated at the plant as well as excess gas is fed to an adjacent feed mill. When the mill is not operational, the power is fed to the National Grid. The digestate produced by the plant, which is in the process of gaining PAS 110 accreditation, is collected and used by local farmers. 

Despite the latent renewable energy in commercial and municipal food wastes, much of this valuable resource still ends in landfill. Much of it also ends in composting plants, which use expensive imported energy to bio-stabilise (or destroy) what, when processed in an AD plant, is a valuable renewable energy resource. After all, one tonne of organic waste processed through AD, could be converted into 600 to 800 kilowatt hours of energy – enough to power five refrigerators for one year. 

The equivalent tonne of waste through a composting plant costs energy and money to process. As energy demand and prices continue to rise and security of supply concerns worsen, more and more Local Authorities and private waste companies look set to follow the excellent example set by Eco Sustainable Solutions Ltd. and capitalize on the excellent income generation opportunity that organic waste presents. 

WELTEC understands the needs of every client and tailors the most cost-effective solution on a case by case basis. The partnership between the plant manufacturer and his clients also maintain after the design and build phase. “We recognize that an AD plant is a 20 year partnership and that maintaining solid trust-based working relationships with our clients is crucial to our ongoing success. 

Therefore we now have a dedicated UK-based Service and Maintenance capability with locally available spare parts”, sales manager Kevin Monson explains. 

Company Portrait

In 2014, WELTEC BIOPOWER GmbH, one of the first manufacturers of biogas plants, celebrated its 13th anniversary. WELTEC is one of the pioneers of the constructors of biogas plants. 

Based on the modern approach of experienced engineers, the company from Vechta, Germany with its expertise of a staff of close to 80, offers complete biogas plants from one source and has developed to a leading constructor of biogas plants in the world. As the hydrogen sulphide and ammonia compounds contained in biogas corrode unprotected parts, WELTEC builds the digesters from stainless steel. This ensures a long useful life of the plant. The manufacturing depth also guarantees a consistently high standard regardless of the location and ensures an export rate that is far above the industry average. 

The plants have a modular structure. WELTEC uses only proven system components and develops most of the technologies along the entire value chain internally: digester technology, mixing technology, control technology, hygienisation systems, and digestate processing solutions originate from the company. 

By means of its comprehensive services, WELTEC ensures the technical and economic stability of the biogas plants. The CHP service guarantees stable output, the biological supervision ensures continuous monitoring of the relevant parameters, and systematic repowering makes sure that the biogas plant is always up to date. 

Operators can choose from a range of service packages of different types and scope. One of the main strengths of WELTEC is the ability to deliver individual and flexible solutions worldwide – from compact plants to large computer-controlled plants in the megawatt range, waste recycling plants, and biogas parks with gas processing technology.

Ann Börries

Marketing

Phone: +49 4441/99978-220

Email: presse@weltec-biopower.de

Investment in Clean Energy Tops $100 billion in 2007

New investment in clean energy companies and assets hit $117 billion last year - up 35% on 2006's $86.5 billion, according to analysts New Energy Finance (NEF).

The figure was $20 billion ahead of the company's prediction, despite tighter conditions in the credit markets - and NEF is predicting strong growth for 2008.

NEF attributes the strong growth to the continuing strength of 'non-financial drivers' - such as regulation, political will and concerns over energy security. It also notes a shift in focus from more mature wind and biofuels markets in Western Europe and the US, towards Asia, Brazil and other developing countries.

Michael Liebreich, chief executive of NEF, said that the sector has still to increase the volume of clean and cost-effective energy it is producing to justify investors' enthusiasm. However, he added - "progress is being made on scaling-up a number of sectors - particularly wind, solar, biomass and energy efficiency. The wave of liquidity washing through the sector shows no signs of abating and, despite the dark clouds still massed over the world's credit markets, 2008 looks set to be another banner year."

Of the $117 billion, $54.5 billion went to financing renewable energy assets - up 40% on 2006. However, investments in public markets was 80% higher, at $18.9 billion, although this figure was skewed by the $6.6 billion flotation of Iberdrola Renovables in December. Excluding this outlier gives a figure of 17% growth.

Venture capital and private equity new investment grew by 27% to $8.5 billion, with a shift from later-stage investments to early-stage deals, as the pipeline of commercialisation-ready opportunities dried up, NEF said.

Wind energy accounted for almost half of new investment in projects, at $24.8 billion, compared with $18.5 billion in 2006. Of this, $8.4 billion was in Asia and Oceania - outstripping investment in the Americas at $6.6 billion - but trailing the $9.8 billion invested in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The dramatic growth in biofuels financing slowed, to $14.5 billion, up 30% on 2006. Between 2005 and 2006, biofuels investment leapt 171%. 

European Clean Energy Investment Tops €1.9 Billion in Just 3 Years: Carbon Trust Report

Enviro-solutions report:

Clean energy investment accounts for ten per cent of all European venture capital investments, according to new research released by the Carbon Trust.

The report shows that investment in clean energy reached a total of just under €2 billion in 2003-2006 - putting clean energy on a par with European IT, biotech and semiconductor venture capital investment levels.

UK clean energy companies are proving the most attractive investment to date, accounting for more than 40 per cent of all European clean energy deals.

The Carbon Trust report also shows that, if growth continues at the current rate, investment in clean energy could reach around €3.5 billion in 2007-2010 - an increase of 75 per cent. Clean energy companies are those operating within the energy system or supply chain with the potential to reduce CO2 - or other greenhouse gas emissions.

Analysis of the technology types that are attracting investment in Europe highlights an interesting trend - significantly more capital was raised in Europe for energy consumption and efficiency technologies, than in North America. This indicates an emerging energy efficiency specialisation for Europe that could further develop in the next few years.

Geographical trends are also appearing. Fifteen per cent of deals involved companies based in Scandinavia - with France and Germany also performing well, with seven and fourteen per cent, respectively. Regional clusters of clean energy companies have also appeared, with examples including London, Oxford, Munich, Paris and Berlin.

The Carbon Trust's research looks in detail at trends in venture capital investing in European clean energy companies between 2003 and 2006. Other findings include:

Although renewable energy generation technologies are as popular as technologies aimed at energy conservation and energy efficiency in commercial buildings and industrial settings, significantly more capital was raised for consumption and efficiency technologies in Europe than in North America - could this be an emerging specialisation for Europe?

The IPO market is becoming increasingly important for clean energy investments - during 2003-2006, 45 venture capital backed clean energy businesses based in Europe, raised more than €2.5 billion from the quoted markets;

The North American clean energy market remains larger than that in Europe - European clean energy markets raised, on average, 60 per cent of their North American equivalents by number of investment rounds made and 40 per cent by amount invested;

Investment growth in Europe was strong during the period, but did not accelerate at the same rate as North America - in part, owing to the IPO market displacing venture capital investment that could normally be sought by businesses raising growth finance;

New markets for clean technologies are emerging - such as the portable power electronics industry - which demand ever more power and put pressure on existing battery technology;

Clean energy companies in the dataset averaged €4.4 million invested per round;
Upstream technologies accounted for 23 fundraising rounds during 2003-2006, infrastructure for 36 rounds, energy generation for 165 rounds, services for 17 rounds and consumption/energy efficiency for 203 rounds;

There are still very few funds specialising in the clean energy sector - and, with the exception of the Carbon Trust, CDC Ixis and Emerald Venture Partners, few clean energy funds have demonstrated a consistent track record in the sector.

To download the Investment trends in European clean energy 2003-2006 report - Click Here.