WOOD GAS

“We rely on regional products for our energy production. Sustainability and suppliers close to home are top priorities for us, which is why we chose Biogas Hochreiter from Schnaitsee.”

Glonntal Strom is a small electricity grid operator with 100% regional green electricity.
In 2021, two small CHP units with 50 kW each were replaced by a powerful Hochreiter HODEUTZ V6 wood gas CHP unit. The 150 kW unit from Hochreiter takes over a significant part of the basic electrical supply combined with hydropower and photovoltaics. In cooperation with Stadtwerke Rosenheim, the village of Piusheim and the surrounding villages within a radius of 50 km are supplied with 100% green electricity. The continuous thermal output of 200 kW generated is fed into the regional district heating network.

“As a civil engineer, I have given a lot of thought to the construction and operation of the wood gas plant and have constantly developed it over the years. I started to work with the simplest means and gained my experience. I have raised my plant to a higher level, with the decision to install a highly efficient Hochreiter CHP unit. In my main job as a civil engineer, I enjoy meanwhile advising new & existing Hochreiter customers who have decided to build a new wood gas plant or increase its efficiency.”

Sepp Weber, owner of EVU Lohen, started with the first wood-fired power plant in 2012 and then continuously expanded the plant to 110 kWel.

In 2021, the three small CHP units were replaced by an efficient HODEUTZ V8 with an electrical output of 210 kW. The electrical energy produced is profitably remunerated by Stadtwerke Rosenheim in direct marketing. Additional revenue is also generated through the sale of heat.

The thermal output of 280 kW is fed into the local district heating network, supplying 10 households and the company’s own Theaterstadl with sustainable, CO2-neutral heat. Sepp also uses the surplus heat to dry hay, straw etc.. The regional wood chips used are also dried on site with the heat produced in-house.

“From the beginning, we wanted to run our plant at maximum capacity and utilization. Our experience has shown that continuous modernization of our wood gas plant will enable us to continue operating economically in the future. An important component in our development is the Hochreiter wood gas CHP Type H130LE. With optimum woodchip and wood gas quality, we can now benefit from the 300 KWel output in direct marketing and consider ourselves well equipped for the future.”

The Lechner wood chip company in Ellenberg went into operation in 2011 with a 6-cylinder marine diesel engine with a displacement of 23.1 liters and its wood gas system. The plant was modernized and equipped with new wood gasifiers in 2020.

In order to further increase profitability and efficiency, Mr. Lechner decided in 2022 to replace the ageing marine diesel engine with a new, state-of-the-art wood gas CHP unit, type H130 from Hochreiter. The 12-cylinder CHP unit with charge air cooling and biturbo generates up to 300 kWel of power and approx. 420 kW of continuous thermal output with the appropriate wood gas supply. The waste heat is mainly utilized for drying bulk materials such as wood chips and bark mulch on site.

The majority of the electrical power generated is profitably marketed on the electricity exchange or remunerated via the EEG, in cooperation with a direct marketer. The plant thus benefits from the highly profitable electricity market prices and was able to replace the costly ignition oil component in a completely CO2-neutral manner. Mr. Lechner has taken a big step towards an economically secure and sustainable future by modernizing his plant.