Integrated industrial biogas plant supplies clean heat and electricity
Libramont, 27 October 2009 - Today the first European industrial process based on a sustainable energy island was unveiled at the plant of L’Oréal in Libramont, Belgium. Thanks to this state-of-the-art technology the production site is in principle independent of the public electricity and natural gas grid and can provide in its own energy needs.
The project is the result of a unique and innovative cooperation between the Belgian developer of sustainable energy Bio Energie Europa, energy company Eneco and L’OREAL. The concept and technology were developed over the past three years.
A unique industrial biogas plant was built close to the L’OREAL plant in Libramont. Biomass, from local farmers and the agro alimentary industry, is collected in a hermetic sealed tank. In this tank bacteria convert the biomass into methane through the biological process of fermentation. This biogas is then transported through a 600 metre subterranean pipeline to the factory. The biogas bought by L’Oréal is used in three cogeneration engines that generate both green heat and electricity. The plant is unique because both the generated electricity and heat, which is converted into steam, is completely used by the factory. Moreover, more green electricity is generated than the site itself requires. The remaining power, which is enough to meet the needs of around 4,000 households, is injected into the public grid.
This high-technological concept makes it possible for companies to handle their energy consumption in a very efficient and sustainable way. With the plant in Libramont, Eneco and Bio Energie Europa have completed their first major project for an industrial customer. Further, similar projects are in development or construction phases at both Wallonian and Flemish companies. A development that will generate employment for hundreds of people in the coming years during the construction of the plants. Approximately 150-200 of those people will be directly and permanently employed in Belgium.
As already announced in 2007, Eneco is undertaking considerable efforts to develop sustainable energy projects. Eneco Belgium is enhancing its leading position in renewable energy with respect to both biomass and wind power (takeover of Air Energy and Evelop Belgium). Within the biogas technology, five plants are planned to build each year, which requires an annual investment of 75 million euros.
For L’Oréal, completion of the project marks an important step towards achieving its goal of reducing its worldwide emissions of CO2 by over 50% by 2015. L’Oréal wishes to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels to an absolute minimum in order to prevent CO2 emissions. In this connection, a study is currently underway to enable the French plants to apply similar concepts.
Facts & Figures
| Biomass processed |
54,000 tons a year |
| Electrical power |
3.2 MW |
| Annual electricity production |
25,600 MWh |
| Equivalent electricity (households) |
8,500 households |
| Annual CO2 reduction |
31,950 tons |
| Equivalent CO2 emissions (passenger cars) |
20,000 cars per year (at 15,000 km)
|
| Thermal power |
3.4 MW |
| Annual heat production |
27,200 MWh |
| Natural gas saved |
2.500.000 m³ |
| Equivalent heat (households) |
1,070 households |