MaXXcon to build waste-to-energy stations in Germany
OSTERODE AM HARZ, GERMANY - German energy company MaXXcon GmbH & Co KG plans to build two waste-to-energy power stations in Germany.
A power facility will be built in Langelsheim, Lower Saxony, which will transform 225,000 tons of refuse per year into 30 megawatts (MW) of energy and 120 MW of heat.
Construction is planned to kick off August 2010, with completion set for December 2011.
The project's total investment cost is estimated to be 100 million euros (US$150 million). The largest part will come from shareholder equity, although MaXXcon is seeking investors.
The second waste-to-energy utility will be built in Osnabrueck, Lower Saxony. For this project, MaXXcon is working with two partners: Stadtwerke Osnabrueck, the local public utility company, and the paper mill Ahlstrom Osnabrueck GmbH. The Hase Power Plant will be constructed near the mill to supply process heat and power. The remaining energy and heat will be sold to the public grid. Generating capacity is the same as the Langelsheim plant: 30 MW of power and 120 MW of heat. The project is in the very early stages, and feasibility studies are still under way. Construction is planned to begin in June 2012, with completion set for June 2014. The companies will spend approximately 120 million euros (US$180 million) on the Hase project.
Since 2005, the disposal of untreated municipal waste has been forbidden in Germany, creating a boom in the waste-to-energy market. High heating value residue is mechanically treated and used as refuse-derived fuel for power plants.
Currently in Germany, 25 waste-to-energy power plants are in operation, with a total thermal output of 1,504 MW. By 2011, 36 power plants with a total thermal output of 2,721 MW will be in operation, although resistance from the local population and difficulties in obtaining environmental and related permits have caused 30 power plant projects to be halted.
Related News
Europe's Renewables Are Crowding Out Gas as Coal Phase-Out Slows
LONDON - The European Union’s renewable energy sources are helping reduce its dependence on natural gas that’s still costing the region dearly.
Renewables growth has helped reduce the EU’s dependence on gas, which has soared in price since the middle of last year as the region grapples with a supply crisis that’s dealt blows to industries as well as ordinary consumers’ pockets. More than half of new renewable generation since 2019 has replaced gas power, according to a study by London-based climate think tank Ember, with the rest replacing mainly nuclear and coal sources.
“These are moments and paradigm shifts when governments…
