A biogas plant of Weltec Biopower recently went live in Saitama Prefecture, 25 miles north of Tokyo. The facility, which is equipped with a 450-kilowatt cogeneration power plant, is the fourth project to be rolled out by the German manufacturer in Japan. In terms of substrates, the operator makes use of organic leftovers from the vicinity. Since the raw material mix varies, Weltec ensures a steady biogas output with its biological service. This special service of the biogas specialist also comprises another plant of the same customer.
BUILDING WITH AN EYE TOWARD THE FUTURE
Even after the reactor accident in Fukushima back in 2011, Japan continues to use nuclear power. However, renewable energies are consistently expanded and already account for a fifth of the power generated. Above all, leftovers are the preferred substrates in Japan. The biogas plant in Saitama, too, digests some 12,000 tons of organic waste into energy. The substrate mix consists of organic waste and cattle manure from a nearby farm that belongs to the operator. The largely liquid organics are introduced to the digester by means of a central pump. Solid feedstocks are transported by a dosing feeder with a capacity of over 950 cubic feet
To ensure efficient digestion of this mixture, Weltec Biopower has set up a stainless-steel digester with a capacity of nearly 100,000 cubic feet. Its diameter measures 83 feet, and its height is 20 feet. The upstream substrate storage tank, which is made of stainless steel, has a capacity of 1,271 cubic feet, a diameter of 30 feet and a height of 16.5 feet. The 18,540-cubic-foot digestate storage tank (diameter 38 feet, height 16.5 feet), too, is made of high-quality stainless steel.
CUSTOM DESIGN AND BENEFITS
Finally, the digestate is separated and the solid phase is dried with special technology in order to further reduce the volume. Most of this residue is used as compost, and some of it as fertilizer. The Japanese appreciate the custom plant design and the benefits of our modular approach, especially because the plant structure with stainless-steel modules facilitates the consideration of the special risks in areas that experience a lot of seismic activity.
EXPANDING A PARTNERSHIP
All in all, Weltec Biopower has provided the customer with an all-inclusive package in “made in Germany” quality along with individual after-sales service. Subsequently, the Japanese operator also entrusted Weltec with the biological supervision of its other biogas plant, which had been set up by a different provider in 2017.
As this plant’s yield was above average, the biology experts of Weltec had the substrate mix of the old plant carefully analyzed by a Japanese lab. Based on the results, the raw material mix and the retention time have been optimized. Due to the constantly changing composition of the waste, Weltec will continue to supervise the two plants biologically in order to maximize the gas yield.
Further information on the energetic utilization and use of all types of organic waste and wastewater will be available from May 30 to June 3, 2022, at the IFAT in Munich (Germany), hall A4, stand 217. The specialists of Weltec will be attending the exposition with examples of the company’s latest offerings.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Weltec Biopower GmbH is one of the world’s leading enterprises in the field of stainless-steel biogas plant construction. The company has planned, developed, and built anaerobic digestion plants since 2001. Today, the medium-sized company has about eighty employees at the headquarters in Vechta, Germany, and has established more than 350 energy plants in twenty-five countries worldwide. The global distribution and service network spans six continents. The range of customers includes businesses from the agriculture, food, waste, and wastewater industries. For more information visit, www.weltec-biopower.com.
MODERN PUMPING TODAY, May 2022
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