A new community biogas plant is under construction in western Münsterland, spearheaded by Bioenergie Heek-Ahle and supported by Münster University of Applied Sciences, according to Energate. This plant is designed to serve as a model for the industry.
The project involves 45 local farms contributing substrates like slurry and manure. Scheduled to begin operations in the first quarter of 2025, the plant aims to become a blueprint for biogas production.
For many small and medium-sized farms, the production of biomethane is often economically unfeasible due to the limited volume of usable raw materials they produce. To overcome this challenge, several operators are collaborating on a centralized biomethane processing facility.
Professor Elmar Brügging from Münster University of Applied Sciences explained that the plant will source substrates from farms within an average radius of about five kilometers. An important aspect of the project is ensuring that the nutrients in the substrates are retained by the farms and returned as high-quality fertilizer after fermentation.
The project, supported by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), aims to establish practical and financial methodologies for managing and accounting for the resources and revenue generated by the plant. “Our goal is to develop a clear methodology for balancing financial resources and substrate contributions,” Brügging noted.
The community plant model is expected to serve as an example for others in the sector, helping to utilize residual materials that would otherwise go to waste and boost biomethane production. While biogas is generated at around 9,000 locations in Germany, few plants focus exclusively on animal waste such as liquid manure, slurry, or dung.
