bioenergy village installed wood gasifier from spanner re²

Bioenergy village is focused on generating its own energy

The area of Engelsberg in the market town of Lauterhofen (Neumarkt district, Bavaria) is focused on generating its own energy; its citizens are aiming to keep the cash and personnel flows associated with energy production within their municipality. A Spanner biomass CHP has been producing electricity and heat for there district heating since November 2011. The Engelsbergers supply heat to 25 residential buildings, housing 115 people, through a 1,500-metre-long pipe network.

Biomass CHP powered by wood chips

1,000 cubic metres of woodchips are required annually for the Biomass CHP, which operates for 7,500 hours a year. The fuel comes directly from the forests around Engelsberg. To generate the wood-based energy, the Engelsbergers built a boiler house with two woodchip bunkers right next to the fire station. The wood chips are dried in the bunkers using heat from the Biomass CHP, which rises up from the bottom through perforated metal plates.

The wood gasifier and local district heating network can be viewed from 5pm to 7pm on the first Friday of the month.

Wood chip drying:

The wood chips are dried using hot air which is sent through a double floor in a double-bin dryer consisting of two bunkers. The dried chips are then used to fuel the Biomass CHP alternately from the bunker.

Technical data of wood gasifier reference:

  • System: Spanner HKA 30 Biomass CHP
  • Output: 30 kWel and 80 kWth
  • Start-up: November 2011
  • Annual operating time: 7,500 operating hours
  • Woodchip consumption: approx. 1,000 cubic metres per year
  • Woodchip source: 90 % of the village population, most of whom are forest owners

Gallery: (Click to enlarge)