Name: Biomass CHP plant Pfaffenhofen

Location (settlement, country):
Pfaffenhofen, Germany (Bavaria)

Brief description of the technology:
Since fall 2001 an environmentally acceptable power and heat generation plant firing biomass is in operation in Pfaffenhofen (Germany). It operates a steam turbine and supplies a newly erected grid with steam and hot water. The maximum thermal power output is 32.5 MW, the electric power is 6 MW. In addition, a company is supplied with process steam, and cold is generated by absorption type refrigerating machines using district heat.

Why is it a „Best practice”:
The plant in Pfaffenhofen shows the upper limit for the reasonable use of solid biomass for energy production under normal circumstances. There was no existing system for heat distribution, and therefore high investment was necessary to supply the heat customers. More than a quarter of the investment was paid for the heat distribution system. But since it was possible to find good heat customers and to sell nearly all the “residual” heat of the electricity production, the plant is not only ecologically manageable but also economically feasible, at least within in the German legal framework. With rising prices for electricity, the concept could be transferable also to other nations without a feed-in-tariff system for electricity from biomass.

Possibility for a visit or guided tour (yes / no):
Yes

Website:
www.bmhkw.de

Related technology:
Chipping