July 21, 2010

Agrargesellschaft Kandelin GmbH invests again in WELtec plants

In the future, German farmers will step up their investments, especially in renewable energies. Thus, established biogas manufacturers like WELtec BioPower GmbH from Vechta will receive more domestic orders, especially from agricultural facilities that already run WELtec plants.

Two biogas plants of WELtec have been in operation at Agrargesellschaft Kandelin GmbH in Neuendorf and Wüsteney, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, since 2007. The construction of the third biogas plant started in May 2010, and the plant was commissioned in July. The order for the fourth WELtec plant has already been placed, and the approval procedure is under way.

"Back then, we considered the operation of biogas plants to be an opportunity to develop a promising business field in addition to food and feed crop production, pig breeding, and milk and beef cattle production, and to secure jobs for qualified employees," explains Torsten Zahn, managing director of the agricultural company.

As the same is still true today, the power generation field is being expanded. "At present, biogas is our most profitable line of business, and we would be pitiful businessmen if we failed to boost this area," says Zahn.

The design of the new biogas plants that are integrated in a calf facility in Kandelin is almost identical to that of the existing ones: 500 kW output, a 6,780-ft storage tank, and two fermenters of 70,630 cu ft each. However, the gas-tight final storage unit with a capacity of approximately 158,900 cu ft is new.

"We have always been impressed by the overall concept of WELtec BioPower: while being reduced to the required minimum, the employed technology is of a high quality and installed in a highly functional way: a functional pump block, a sturdy, easy-to-use control, and two dual-fuel engines," says Torsten Zahn. The responsible staff at Agrargesellschaft Kandelin GmbH appreciated the support they received during the start-up phase. "In the start-up phase, we coordinated the increasing feeding (maize silage, pig and cattle manure) and heating of the plant together with the WELtec biologists."

Additionally, WELtec impressed with its use of stainless steel: large fermenters are made of stainless steel, dosing devices are lined with stainless steel, and the entire feed input section and a storage tank are made of stainless steel in order to automate the feeding process to the highest degree possible.

By continually expanding the use of the combined heat and power, the plants are to become even more profitable. Last winter, the milking unit in Neuendorf was connected to the exhaust heat of the combined heat and power plants. About 10% of the heat is used there. Though the heat is not yet used in Wüsteney, the pigsty is to be connected soon. For the third plant, the heat pipes are currently being laid, and the office and workshop facilities are to be heated next winter.

Established in 2001, WELtec BioPower GmbH in Vechta, Lower Saxony, Germany, is a leading provider of complete biogas plants. Based on the long-standing experience of its parent companies and the modern approach of young engineers, the company, with its staff of close to 60, offers complete biogas plants from one source.