Beacon Project
KOMPOTEC Nieheim
Transformation From Compost to Energy Plant
Nieheim is a groundbreaking project of our corporate group, which aims to sensitise municipalities and waste disposal service providers worldwide to the economic efficiency of biowaste recycling.
The transformation in Nieheim is an example of how waste management service providers can become sustainable energy suppliers. - Dr Rolf Liebeneiner (Managing Director BEKON)
Signal Effect
There is incredible economic and ecological potential in the utilisation of biowaste. The innovative combination of modern technologies used in Nieheim is an example of what can already be achieved today with the existing possibilities. Nieheim is therefore our beacon project.
High Economic Efficiency With Maximum Sustainability
Our concept, applied for the first time in Nieheim, aims to maximise marketable end products while minimising emissions. We use a dry fermentation process to produce high-quality biomethane that replaces 100% of fossil natural gas. 9.000 tonnes of CO2 from the biogas are used annually to produce biogenic dry ice, replacing fossil CO2. The fermentation residues are then fully reintegrated into the ecological cycle as compost and liquid fertiliser. By integrating wind and photovoltaic systems, the plant is not only self-sufficient, but also contributes to the region's electricity supply. Specifically, the plant produces
- up to 600 m³ of biomethane per hour
- 5.9 million kWh of renewable electricity per year (after deduction of own consumption)
- 22,000 tonnes of compost per year
- 12,000 tonnes of liquid fertiliser per year
The plant also avoids 20,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
Visualisation of the Finished Plant
A. Compost storage with PV roof (new construction) - B. Compost fine processing (being extended) - C. Tunnel composting (new construction of another three) - D. Wind power plant (new construction) - E. Dry ice facility (new construction) - F. Biomass boiler (new construction) - G. Biogas plant (new construction) - H. Gas processing - I. Liquid digestate storage (new construction)
Innovative Combination of Modern Processes
The plant in Nieheim already produces biogas today. However, the new continuous fermentation process from BEKON will significantly increase the yield once again, while electricity will be generated using large-scale PV systems and a wind turbine. An AI-supported energy management system will maximise the in-house use of the electrical energy generated on site, thus minimising the amount of electricity purchased. The CO2 produced when refining the biogas into biomethane is both sold as biogenic dry ice for industry and permanently bound in precast concrete elements. Non-fermentable woody parts of the biowaste are utilised in a biomass boiler to heat the plant. The fermentation residue is processed into high-quality compost and liquid fertiliser for soil improvement in agriculture.
Continuous Fermentation
BEKON's continuous fermentation process forms the heart of the new plant. It achieves even higher biogas yields and impresses with its high degree of automation.
Sustainable Energy From a Perfect Cycle
With the appropriate purity, organic waste can be completely processed into high-quality compost. This means that biowaste can already be recycled in a closed cycle. However, energy can also be recovered from this closed cycle by means of fermentation, without any loss of quality in the compost. Despite this enormous economic and ecological potential, the public hardly recognises biowaste as a valuable resource or even as an energy source. Despite the energy transition and although fermentation processes have been on the market for a long time, only around 33% of separately collected biowaste was used for sustainable energy production in Germany in 2020, according to the BMUV. This is particularly remarkable, as composting has been established throughout the country for decades. We therefore hope that our Nieheim beacon project will also raise awareness of biogas production from waste as an important component of the energy transition.
Synergies of the Eggersmann Group
We at the Eggersmann Group have not only incorporated the knowledge and experience of all our business divisions into the planning of Nieheim, but we are also constructing and operating the energy plant together:
- KOMPOTEC: Operation of the site
- Eggersmann Anlagenbau: planning and assembly of the plant
- BEKON: Dry fermentation process
- BRT HARTNER: Stationary machines
- Fechtelkord & Eggersmann: Construction of the buildings
- BETONT: Delivery of the structural concrete parts and integration of the CO2 in concrete
- BioTerra: Distribution of compost and liquid fertiliser
Always up to Date
The composting plant in Nieheim was already one of the most modern plants in the world before the current remodelling work. This is because the Eggersmann Recycling Technology companies have been using this site for research purposes since Eggersmann Anlagenbau was founded in 2008. Newly developed processes and technologies are trialled here in the company's own facilities and important experience is gathered. For example, the innovative compost fine processing concept as well as the new ARCTOS BM 36 pre-shredder haven been implemented in Nieheim for the first time.
Right: Fine compost treatment with CO2MPOSTCLEANER as used in Nieheim (more).