Bioenergy

Wood and other energy plants are regenerative raw materials. Any combustion of these raw materials is CO2-neutral because when burnt they only release as much CO2 as was withdrawn from the atmosphere during the plant's growth. Biomass power stations are a further step towards effective climate protection for EnBW. Apart from the already high share of emission-free electricity production from hydropower and our wind farm projects, biomass is playing an increasingly important role in our regenerative production mix: we produce electricity and heat in biomass co-generation plants and are involved in research into processing biogas to natural gas quality.

CO2-neutral, regenerative fuel

Biomass can essentially be split into solid, liquid and gaseous biomass. Solid biomass such as wood or straw is used to produce electricity and heat in the private, municipal and industrial sector through combustion or gasification. Liquid biomass is primarily understood as meaning vegetable oils from rape, palms or sunflowers that are used in road traffic as well as co-generation plants.

Sparing resources with bio natural gas

Biogas is produced through the fermentation of aqueous biogenic waste materials such as liquid manure, sewage sludge, biowaste and foliage plant silage. Biogas is either converted into electricity and heat in stationary plants or fed to households and factories via the natural gas network after its conversion to bio natural gas. It is then used to supply local electricity and heat.

EnBW is looking into the refinement of biogas to a natural gas quality and feeding it into the natural gas network. This will mean that biogas can be used more flexibly and efficiently. In addition, EnBW's customers are already being supported in the implementation of the renewable heat act in Baden-Württemberg by feeding biogas into the natural gas network.

The use of biomass at EnBW in figures

• Electricity and heat from 13 biomass power stations
• Electrical output: over 40 MW
• Thermal output: over 240 MW

EnBW built one of the first permanently operated biogas feed systems in Baden-Württemberg in 2008 in Burgrieden near Laupheim:

• Annual production: 5.1 million m3 biogas
• Households supplied: 1,000