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Weltec Biopower deploys three biogas plants in Greece

Weltec Biopower deploys three biogas plants in Greece
With over 35 biogas plants commissioned since 2007, Greece continues to be a strong market for Weltec Biopower (photo courtesy Weltec Biopower).

Germany-headed biogas technology provider Weltec Biopower GmbH has commissioned another three biogas power plant projects in Greece, designed together with its Greek cooperation partner Tetoros Machinery.

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Two of these are located in the Epirus region, in northwestern Greece: a 1 MW plant in the town of Arta and a 500-kW plant in Ioannina, the latter of which will go into production in the fall of 2023.

The third one, a 250-kW biogas plant project, was realized in Serres, in central Macedonia. Here, an upgrade of the combined heat and power (CHP) plant to 750 kW is also being implemented.

Livestock intensive region

The region around Epirus is particularly rural. Poultry and cattle production dominate the area. As in many other intensive farming areas, the biomass supply there is higher than the processing capacity of the existing plants.

According to Tetoros Machinery, the construction of new biogas plants and the modernization of existing ones are therefore profitable, especially since such projects are supported by subsidies. Not least, the rich substrate supply at the three plant locations was also an important factor in the investment decisions.

At the 1 MW plant in Arta, 150 tonnes of cattle slurry and 50 tonnes of dry chicken manure are processed daily. At the biogas plant site in Ioannina, the daily input is made up of 100 tonnes of cattle slurry and 30 tonnes of dry chicken manure.

In Serres, a substrate mix of 40 tonnes of cattle manure and 10 tonnes of energy crops is used per day. Here, in addition to his cattle farming, the operator owns land on which corn is grown.

High-grade stainless steel

At all three sites, the materials are first sent to a pre-storage tank. Special agitators and pump technology ensure the pretreatment. In the digesters, the proven agitators then mix the substrates for efficient biogas production.

The two digesters in Arta each hold 4436 m3, in Ioannina, there is a 3 993 m3 digester, and the tank in Serres measures 4 905 m3.

All tanks are made of high-grade stainless steel, said Tobias Peuker, Process Engineer at Weltec Biopower.

Furthermore, according to him, the digestate (post-fermentation residue) with its high nutrient content can also be used as a biofertilizer afterward.

Double renewable power by 2030

The three biogas projects are an important part of the Greek energy transition. For example, according to a report by DAPEEP S.A., the Greek market operator for renewable energy sources, new biomass, and biogas plants with a total capacity of 7 MW came online in the first half of 2022.

The Greek Energy and Climate Plan aims to double the share of renewable energy in electricity generation from 30 power in 2021 to 60 percent by 2030.

Weletc Biopower has already implemented a total of around 36 biogas plants and projects in Greece since 2007.

And the path to decarbonization continues to make progress: In the summer of 2023, Greece’s entire one-day energy demand could have been supplied from renewable energy sources for the first time.

This means we are well on our way and will continue to make our contribution to achieving the goal, ended John Tetoros, from Tetoros Machinery.

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