6th Framework Programme
Case Study 2: Kaarßen

Case Study 2: Kaarßen

This biogas plant in Kaarßen, near Lüneburg, in Northern Germany is one of the biggest in the whole federal state of Lower-Saxony. The project had a total investment volume of 10 millions Euros, part of which was provided by capital investment companies. The plant has an annual energy production of 17,800 million kWh. The total of heat production is used for the plant itself as well as for an evaporation unit for producing high-quality fertilizers.

Key data

Type of plant: Fermentation of liquid manure & additional biomass
Location: Amt Neuhaus, Germany
Operator: Agrarenergie Kaarßen GmbH & Co. KG
Constructor: Bioconstruct
Operation start: November 2005

Operation facts

Mode: 2 stage
  2 parallel steel fermeters combined with secondary concrete fermenter
Temperature range: Mesophilic
Main fermenters: 2 x 5,600 m3
Secondary fermenter: 1 x 2,780 m3
Final storage tanks: 1 x 7,712 m3
  2 x 5,470 m3
Feedstock: Cow manure (77 %) and maize (23 %)
Annual amount: 155,000 tons
Use of gas: 2 CHPs with 1,420 kW el each
Tpye of CHP: GE Jenbacher

Energy production

Electrical output: 20,000,000 kWh el
  supply for 5,000 households
Thermal output: 20,000,000 kWh
  equals 2 million l of heating oil
Use of thermal energy Concentration/evaporisation system

Additional information

Special feature: Production of manure concentrate, use of entire heat
  Operated by private investor and managing directors
Investment: 9,550,000 million €
Contruction changes: Extensions of feeder & storage

Diagramm of plant