Electricity and heat

The last element in the production chain of many biogas plants is a cogeneration unit, in which a combustion engine powers a generator to produce electricity and heat. Whereas, normally, electricity is fed into the mains supply, heat can be used in several ways.
The cogeneration unit is the compact unit within a biogas plant in which the gas is converted to energy. In most cases, it is set up in a container or a building near the biogas plant, which also contains the heat exchangers, heat distributors and the safety instrumentation of the gas pipeline.

Although the machines run around the clock, almost no noise is heard outside. The internal insulation of these rooms kills all noise almost completely.

Up to 90 per cent efficiency
The special feature of a cogeneration unit is that it produces electricity and heat by a parallel process. This improves the efficiency of these units in comparison with conventional large power plants that only generate electricity. In addition, the added value is higher for the operator, as he can sell both forms of energy separately.

The amount of electricity and heat a cogeneration unit can produce depends on its size and construction. The connected electric load of a cogeneration unit specifies the output of the biodiesel system as a whole. The total efficiency of a cogeneration unit is between 80 and 90 per cent. This means that between 80 and 90 per cent of the energy from the biogas is converted to electricity and heat by the cogeneration unit.

The electric efficiency is between 30 and 43 per cent, depending on the size and type of construction. Normally, large cogeneration units have a higher efficiency than small units. In the lower output range up to 200 kW, pilot-injection cogeneration units have a somewhat higher efficiency. Pilot-injection engines are converted diesel engines and require about ten per cent fuel in addition to the biogas. This »pilot fuel« is vegetable oil or biodiesel in most of today’s plants. The other engine version is a petrol engine which runs entirely on biogas

Модель Двигатель Электрическая
мощность Тепловая
мощность КПД эл

BGW 50 MA0834TE

E0834E312T

50 kW

71 kW

35,4 %

BGW 100 MA0836LE

E0836LE202

100 kW

130 kW

38,3 %

BGW120 MA2876TE

E2876TE302

120 kW

175 kW

35,5 %

BGW 150 MA2876LE

E2876LE302

150 kW

185 kW

37,8 %

BGW 190 MA2876LE

E2876LE302

190 kW

236 kW

38,3 %

BGW 250 MA2848LE

E2848LE322

250 kW

315 kW

38,2 %

BGW 360 MA2842LE

E2842LE322

360 kW

458 kW

38,4 %