Dutch green energy firm granted licence to build biogas plant
A major green energy firm in the Netherlands has been granted a licence for a biogas plant. Stercore, based in the province of Drenthe, has been granted the licence by the Province of Drenthe to build a manure gasification plant in Emmen in the northeast of the Netherlands.
The project will see Stercore partner with livestock farmers to collect and process manure, which will then be processed into biogas. According to the company, the Province of Drenthe was hesitant to supply the licence, despite the clear benefits of the biogas plant. Stercore CEO Hans Jansen said: “Our innovative approach is so new that our initiative can’t be tested.
“Existing calculation models operated only on the basis of data from fermentation plants and plants running on natural gas, there isn’t yet any such thing as a sustainable power plant.”
The plant will employ around 40 people and will run mainly on sustainably generated electricity. It will also be fitted with a nitrogen meter. Construction work on the plant will begin in 2020; it is expected to enter production in around two years.
More than 24,000 households will benefit from the green gas produced at the new plant. Jansen added: “The granting of the licences we needed is recognition of our super-clean contribution to the major challenges. For example, green gas for regional households, less artificial fertiliser and clean processing of natural minerals. So, it is a win-win situation for households, farmers and the environment.”
The project will see Stercore partner with livestock farmers to collect and process manure, which will then be processed into biogas. According to the company, the Province of Drenthe was hesitant to supply the licence, despite the clear benefits of the biogas plant. Stercore CEO Hans Jansen said: “Our innovative approach is so new that our initiative can’t be tested.
“Existing calculation models operated only on the basis of data from fermentation plants and plants running on natural gas, there isn’t yet any such thing as a sustainable power plant.”
The plant will employ around 40 people and will run mainly on sustainably generated electricity. It will also be fitted with a nitrogen meter. Construction work on the plant will begin in 2020; it is expected to enter production in around two years.
More than 24,000 households will benefit from the green gas produced at the new plant. Jansen added: “The granting of the licences we needed is recognition of our super-clean contribution to the major challenges. For example, green gas for regional households, less artificial fertiliser and clean processing of natural minerals. So, it is a win-win situation for households, farmers and the environment.”
