Biogas plant in Cerna

Project title: Biogas cogeneration "Biogas plant Cerna 1 MWel"
Investor: ENERGANA CERNA d.o.o.
Location: Cerna, Croatia
Construction completion: 2021.

Project description

Reasons for investing:

• Simultaneous production of electricity and heat from renewable energy sources;
• Disposal of manure and other by-products from agricultural production used together with corn silage as an energy source;
• Active participation in sustainable development of rural areas;
• Enrichment and increase of soil quality by application of digestate (nitrogen mineralization, humus renewal);
• Diversification of electricity sources and increasing Croatia’s energy independence;
• Increasing the share of renewable energy sources in electricity production (CO2 neutrality);

The production of biogas or electricity and heat from various forms of biomass in biogas plants is an example of a complete and sustainable, environmentally friendly way of energy management.

Various forms of biomass (corn silage and silage of other energy plants, content of fats, slurry, whey, molasses, etc.) are used as energy source, which, through process of anaerobic fermentation, produces biogas that is used as fuel in a biogas engine to produce electricity and heat. The produced thermal energy is partly used in the technological process of biogas production and most of it represents the potential for use in district heating systems, greenhouses, pasteurization, drying and preparation of biomass, etc. The product of anaerobic fermentation is, in addition to biogas, a digestate which, when applied to arable land, increases soil quality.

Results of equipment and facility dimensioning:

• Annual tank of solid energy (biomass) with a total volume of ~ 13800 m³
• Fermenter and postfermentor of individual volume of ~ 3850 m³
• Final digestate tank with a volume of ~ 11000 m³
• Biogas engine with a generator of total electrical power of 1201 kWel and thermal power of 1203 kWth

Enerkon participated in the project through following activities:

• Conceptual design
• Main design
• Bill of quantities
• Detailed design
• Supervision of mechanical works

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