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Läckeby Water Group builds the world’s largest biogas plant for Göteborg Energi:
New technique makes gas free of emission
The environmental engineering company Läckeby Water AB has received an order for almost 30 million SEK from Göteborg Energi AB, to build the world’s largest biogas plant. The technique is based on a new method that makes biogas completely free of emission. Some countries, e.g. Germany, the U.S. and Japan have already shown great interest.
- In the next five years, I can see a growth potential of five plants per year in Sweden. This means 150 million SEK annually. Internationally, this market may be many times bigger for us, says Hans Malm, CEO of Läckeby Water.
Concurrently with the increased demand for biogas, the interest for efficient production plants also increases. The customers are found among the energy companies, the municipally-owned and agricultural cooperative sectors, which handle waste products, such as digested sludge, manure, slaughterhouse and food wastes but also energy crops. These are gasified and treated for production of biogas. Up to now, the customers have hesitated as the technology has not existed in a full scale so far.
The order is a breakthrough for Läckeby Water, as the new plant will be an important reference in the future. We have developed the so-called Cooab-technique here in Sweden together with the Dutch company Cirmac, Hans Malm says.
The plant in Gothenburg will receive digester gas from Ryaverket, the wastewater treatment plant of Gothenburg, and refine it into gas, principally meant to be used as vehicle fuel.
We chose Läckeby because of its high environmental performance. It is true, that the Cooab-technique is more expensive, but if the costs are spread over a five year period, we will get more biogas, at the same time as our maintenance costs will be lower, says Carina Bergsten, responsible for the Department Gas & New Energy at Göteborg Energi AB.
Unlike other treatment techniques with emissions of 2 to 4 per cent methane, the Cooab-technique reduces the emissions to 0.1 per cent methane. Consequently, it gives a higher energy content and reduces the greenhouse effect. Furthermore, there will be no costs for installations of oxidation plants to get rid of the emissions of methane.
The plant will have a capacity of 1,600 m3/h and 60 GWh per year. By using biogas instead of petrol for vehicle fuel, the carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 15,000 t per year if the new plant is used maximally. The plant will be completed in December 2006.
The interest in biogas has increased at the same time as the prices of oil and petrol have gone up. The sales of biogas-powered cars increased by 49 per cent in 2005 and the number of filling stations for vehicle gas by 45 percent, according to the Swedish Gas Association.
From this year, company cars using biogas, will pay only 60 per cent of the ordinary tax on benefits. The Swedish Gas Association is of the opinion that this will promote the sales of new biogas-powered cars considerably.
It is also likely, that the trial with congestion charges in Stockholm, will influence the sales of environmental cars as these are exempted from tax. In addition, more and more big cities offer free parking for environmental cars, among these Gothenburg and Stockholm.
For information, please contact:
Hans Malm, CEO, Läckeby Water Group, +46 70-593 70 96, hans.malm@lackebywater.se