New Waldäcker III biomethanetan system: Progress in energy supply

New Waldäcker III biomethanetan system: Progress in energy supply

In the heart of Ludwigsburg, something big is in the area of renewable energies. The new biomethane system, known as Waldäcker III, the Stadtwerke Ludwigsburg-Kornwestheim (SWLB) takes on increasingly clear form and will soon shape the landscape. On Schwieberdinger Straße, the square building, which occupies an area of 25 by 25 meters, is now visible. In the past few weeks, decisive technical components have been installed that will represent the future power center of the regional energy supply.

The construction progresses quickly and every week the impressive steel columns grow, which are now attached to the outer facade. The 33.5 meter high chimney is a striking structure. There are also four massive buffer stores, each weighing 40 tons and reaching a height of 21 meters. These monumental elements symbolize the considerable amount of energy that is to be generated here in the near future.

Technical details of the biomethane system

The completion of the system is planned for mid -2025. From then on, the new energy center will provide about 39 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity and around 54 million kWh of heat annually. It is impressive that the majority of these resources - 90 percent of the electricity and 80 percent of the heat - from renewable energies will come. This means that almost 3,000 households in the region can be covered and CO₂ savings of around 13,000 tons are possible compared to conventional gas boilers.

The technical equipment is impressive: the energy center combines two biomethane block heating power plants (CHP) with a total output of 9 megawatts and is supported by a heat pump with an output of 3.6 megawatts. This heat pump is operated via a smaller CHP (1 MW) and efficiently uses the waste heat resulting for the regional heating network. The combination of biomethane and natural gas is not only converted into electricity, but also into heat, which increases the overall efficiency of the system.

A central component of this project is cooperation with existing systems. Together with the wood-heating power plant and the largest open-air solar thermal system of southern Germany, the Biomethane plant Waldäcker III will form a powerful trio that revolutionizes sustainable energy generation in the region. Their thermal top performance enables this new system to significantly exceed the capacity of the solar thermal man who has existed so far and to generate about ten times as much heat.

In addition, ensuring energy independence is of great importance for Ludwigsburg. The biomethane used in this system is fed in according to the requirements of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) in the federal territory and thus comes from local sources in Germany. This contributes to local added value and promotes the regional economy.

In the coming weeks, the construction site will continue to attract attention. The outer walls of the building receive a stretch metal facade that not only serves as a optical design element, but also protects against the elements. The four buffer stores are isolated in order to further increase the energy efficiency of the entire system. The preparations for pipe and cable work that are necessary to efficiently network in the building now runs.

The Waldäcker III biomethanetan system The SWLB will not only represent an impressive silhouette in the Ludwigsburg landscape, but also plays a crucial role in the future supply structure of the region. Your construction stands for an important step towards a more sustainable and more environmentally friendly energy future.

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