At the plant site, which is about 80 km west of Danzig, the substrates will be fed into the four 4,438 cubic metres stainless-steel fermenters via four storage tanks and a 50 cubic metres dosing feeder starting from summer 2013.
Apart from maize and liquid manure, which will be supplied by farmers from the vicinity, the operator NEWD will also ferment potato waste of a chip manufacturer. Four tanks with a capacity of 5,000 cubic metres each provide sufficient space for the digestate.
Previously, NEWD, which is also the primary investor in the plant, had only operated as builders and wind power plant operators.
Currently, wind power still accounts for most of the renewable energy generated in Poland. Both the coastal regions and the interior of the country are very suitable locations for wind turbines, delivering an excellent wind harvest.
Now NEWD has decided to produce biogas, for which it plans to rely on the overseas experience of WelTec BioPower . Moreover, the company from Lower Saxony is represented directly on site with its WelTec Polska subsidiary and can secure the technical and economic stability of the 2.4 MW plant with its comprehensive services.
In a written statement the two firms said the conditions for generating biogas are outstanding, as Poland is an agricultural country with a substantial resource potential.
Experts believe that Poland has the third-largest stock of resources in Europe. Poland's agricultural area amounts to about 18.5 million ha, about 1.5 million ha more than in Germany. Agricultural plants number about two million. Especially liquid manure from cattle, pigs, and poultry as well as renewable raw materials are readily available as substrate for biogas plants.
The infrastructure conditions in Poland are also said to be ideal because the nation subsidizes decentralised power and heat generation, and because a highly developed infrastructure is available for the transport of gas and district heat.
To reach the EU climate goals, Poland plans to increase the share of renewable energies in energy generation from 5 to 15 percent by 2020, with an upward trend that is to reach one third by 2030.
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