Green Deal: Essent tests new forms of biomass and starts biogas projects

Essent wants to re-open its biomass power plant in Cuijk to create sustainable energy with new types of biomass. Furthermore, in collaboration with FrieslandCampina and Nederlandse Groen Gas Maatschappij (the Dutch Green Gas Company; NGGM), Essent wishes to start two – and in the longer term 125 - Biogas XL projects.

With these two important projects, Essent is making an important contribution to the so-called Green Deal; the declaration of intent concluded by the Dutch government, trade and industry, local authorities and societal organisations to achieve the sustainability goals of the Netherlands.

‘Essent is an innovative player and moreover market leader when it comes to sustainable energy supply. It is therefore self-evident that we are well represented in the Green Deal at various levels’, says Peter Terium, CEO of Essent. ‘We start up innovative projects that can be scaled-up and so play an increasingly important role in the transition to a sustainable energy supply.’

Biomass power plant in Cuijk

Essent is planning to re-start the 100% biomass power plant in Cuijk as from 2012. This means that we will be testing different types of new, sustainable and certified biomass such as grasses, paper pulp, sawdust, waste materials from the forestry industry and GFT. The power plant in Cuijk was temporarily closed down because the costs, partly determined by the high price of fresh wood chips - could not offset the benefits. A decreasing government subsidy meant that the power plant could no longer operate profitably. In the longer term, Essent plans to link a heating network to the plant, due to which the efficiency of the plant can rise to an unprecedented 80 per cent.

Biobased Economy

Besides testing new types of biomass, within the Cuijk project, research will also be done into a more optimal use of biomass. This means that other applications will be sought for components of the biomass, before it is fired. In this way, different industries can make maximal use of and create value from the same (amount of) biomass. This constitutes the basis for the Biobased Economy. In this project, Essent is working with trade and industry and players from the public sector.

Last month, Essent also joined BE-Basic, an international public/private joint venture set up by the TU in Delft, focused on the development of the green technologies that are necessary for the organisation of a Biobased Economy.

Biogas XL

Essent, Friesland Campina and the Nederlandse Groen Gas Maatschappij (the Dutch Green Gas Company; NGGM) wish to realise two Biogas XL projects in the coming two years. On two cattle farms, via small-scale (mono) manure fermentation, biogas is produced and liquefied. The liquid biogas is subsequently used as fuel in the transport sector. Together with the government, possibilities are being investigated to simplify and shorten the permit procedure. In time, the goal is to realise 125 of these Biogas XL projects nationally. ‘The greatest biogas potential in the Netherlands can be found on the farm’, says Peter Terium. ’We must simply utilise this potential, so we are getting to work together with our partners.’

In total, the Dutch government's Green Deal has 59 similar pioneering projects.

Published: 03 October 2011