“Community biogas plant” undergoing construction in Münsterland

A community biogas plant is currently being built in western Münsterland. The project is being realised by Bioenergie Heek-Ahle, reported Energate.
KG is behind the project, which is being scientifically supported by Münster University of Applied Sciences.
It is called a community plant because 45 farms from the surrounding area are participating and providing substrates such as slurry and manure.
The plant is due to go into operation in the first quarter of 2025 and will then serve as a kind of blueprint for the entire industry, Münster University of Applied Sciences announced.
For small and medium-sized farms, biomethane production is often not worthwhile. The quantities of utilisable raw materials they produce are too small to ensure the economic operation of a biogas plant.
To address this, a number of operators have now joined forces to operate a centralised biomethane processing plant.
"The farmers supply substrates to the plant from an average radius of around five kilometres," explained professor Elmar Brügging from Münster University of Applied Sciences.
According to Brügging, it is important that the nutrients contained in the substrates remain in the possession of the respective farm and are available to it again as high-quality fertiliser after the fermentation process.
However, this is not easy to guarantee. The project, which is supported by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture BMEL (Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft), also aims to show what this can look like in practical and accounting terms.
"Our aim is to develop a methodology for balancing the financial resources and substrate quantities contributed," explained Brügging. This is to enable the operating company to transparently account for the revenue generated.
The joint plant model is intended to inspire imitation in the sector. Above all, because it helps to tap into further residual material potential that would otherwise remain unutilised and thus increase biomethane production. Biogas is produced at around 9,000 locations in Germany. However, only a few plants exclusively utilise animal excrement such as liquid manure, slurry or dung.
The project started on 1 July and will end in June 2027.