The Bundeswehr in Altenstadt no longer uses hard coal to heat the Franz-Josef-Strauß barracks. From the local biogas plant of the company Biogas Kees & Nuscheler, it obtains the complete basic energy requirement. Only in winter do supply peaks occur, which are to be capped by natural gas from Vattenfall. But there too you are working on a solution.
Altenstadt –Johann Nuscheler, Managing Director of Biogas Kees & Nuscheler GmbH & Co. KG, is relieved. They have been operating the biogas plant for ten years now: farmers gain energy from the slurry of 150 cows and from maize and grass silage and whole plants. But so far there has been no proper use for the waste heat. The municipality of Altenstadt would also have liked to use district heating for its own properties, said Mayor Albert Hadersbeck. This was difficult because there was no permanent decrease in heat. The community finally decided to have a neighbor supply it with wood chips.
The goal of connecting the barracks had long been. But the structural change of the Bundeswehr delayed the project, there was simply no planning security. Who remembers: For a long time it was questionable whether the barracks would remain at all or whether it would be disbanded. "When the Bundeswehr decided for us, it was ultimately quick," said Nuscheler. In 2018 he had the first contact with Vattenfall, he also found the right contact at the Bundeswehr and thanked him for the smooth cooperation.
With the environmentally friendly energy and heat supply with a total output of up to five megawatts, the municipality avoids around 3000 tons of CO2 per year. “This is an appreciation from our farmers. The added value remains in the region. An excellent win-win situation, ”said District Administrator Andrea Jochner-Weiß.
The new boiler house next to the barracks. A photovoltaic system largely covers your own energy needs.
© Shepherd
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Badstübner, commander of the Franz-Josef-Strauß barracks, was also satisfied: “For our location, the new, efficient energy concept means a safe and modern heat supply for more than 1,000 people. We can also make a contribution to preserving the environment, especially here in the region. ”The barracks houses up to 1260 people in around 30 accommodation and functional buildings. “We have a good example of how you can carry out environmental protection on a small scale. It is time for all of us to rethink, ”said the commander.
Badstübner emphasizes that by using the biogas plant they can generate the energy and heat supply almost climate-neutral on site. And that without dependence on wind and sun. The Bundeswehr positions itself where it can. The conclusion of the contract also strengthens local cohesion. The commander is impressed by the quick project implementation. The lessor of the property, on which the two-kilometer distant boiler house is located, which was connected to a heat pipe, also helped a lot with the long-term commitment.
Christian Feuerherd, Managing Director of Vattenfall Energy Solutions GmbH, has the operational goal of using fossil fuels for a generation. In the country, in the so-called decentralized energy supply, 118 million tons of CO2 are generated annually. He wants to reduce that to 70 million tons. In it, Altenstadt is hopefully a building block of many other communities.
"An all-round good thing," says Nuscheler during the tour of the facility. “Electricity and heat are obtained from the biogas. The rest of the fermentation substrate is returned to the fields as a liquid fertilizer. ”Three modern natural gas-powered low-temperature boilers complement the supply solution. They are used primarily for peak loads in winter. This enables Vattenfall to be used all year round.
Nuscheler thinks ahead. Two more combined heat and power plants are planned. "The building application has already been submitted to the district office." With another 400 kW of power each, they should supply the Bundeswehr at peak times in winter. It would then no longer even be necessary to purchase energy from natural gas.
BY KATHRIN SCHAEFER
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