Netherlands: greenhouse region gets biomass fermentation plant

Groen Gas Gelderland in Bemmel, the Netherlands, will supply green gas mainly from manure and grass as of end 2016. Among other things, buses in the Arnhem-Nijmegen junction can run on green gas. Funding for the green gas production company in Gelderland came together partly due to an investment of PPM Oost from the Innovatie- and Energiefonds Gelderland (IEG). The construction of the large biomass fermentation plant in the Bergerden greenhouse area in Lingewaard in Gelderland will start at the beginning of 2016.

Groen Gas Gelderland (GGG), formerly known as Bio Energie Bergerden, takes up 72,000 tons of biomass on an annual basis. From it GGG produces 6.9 million Nm3 of green gas. That compares with a total greening of the gas household in a city of 10,000 inhabitants. The CO2 reduction is equivalent to the annual growth of 650,000 trees, a forest of over 13 square kilometers.

Groen Gas Gelderland is building the biomass fermentation plant in cooperation with the specialized company Biogas Plus using the latest techniques. The plant is fed with concentrated manure and grass from neighboring municipalities in Gelderland. From it GGG distills green gas and phosphate. Energy company Eneco, which recently helped develop the project, acquires the green gas together with GDF SUEZ. As part of De Groene Hub [The Green Hub] gas is used among other things for the buses in the Arnhem-Nijmegen junction to run on. In The Green Hub parties in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region collaborate on energy transition and a green regional economy.

Groen Gas Gelderland director Ab Emmerzaal: "With the new fermentation unit we can produce gas at the required level. Our green gas meets the same quality standards as the natural gas from Slochteren." GGG has also closed a deal for the sale of residues containing mineral fertilizers like phosphate.