ENTRADE Energiesysteme AG
Micro power plants for biomass – ‘E3’ turnkey installation ready for operation in only two hours

Micro power plants for biomass: “E3” turnkey installation ready for operation in only two hours

New fuel made from waste materials presented – strong worldwide demand

Düsseldorf. – ENTRADE Energiesysteme AG manufactures a micro power plant which generates electricity and heating from previously unused solid biomass and regenerative waste in the form of standard pellets. The plant has an electrical output of up to 22 kW and heating capacity of 55 kW – sufficient, for example, to supply an apartment block containing 15 to 20 households in Germany with energy.

The generator – entitled the “E3” – has been developed in-house by the company at a cost of EUR 55 million. The technology is based on the principle of wood gasification, which enables the production of high quality synthesis gas after only a short period of operation. The gas generated in the E3 is purified using special filter technology and then combusted in a motor. The power which is generated can be consumed locally or fed into the public grid, while the thermal energy created can be used for heating purposes or transformed for cooling.

The micro power plant was originally developed for use in emerging countries where power requirements are lower and a single plant can supply up to 400 people – which could be an entire village – with low-cost electricity around the clock. However, there is currently also increased interest from companies in industrial countries which are either looking for an autonomous solution or have stocks of unused biogenic materials.

New ‘e-fuel’ for the E3 generator based on hazelnut shells and sunflower seed husks

Against this background ENTRADE AG presented its ‘e-fuel’ in mid-June, which enables around half of the wood shavings in the pellets to be replaced by biogenic waste materials such as hazelnut shells and sunflower seed husks. These waste materials are produced in large quantities by the foodstuffs industry and have so far generally been disposed of by incineration or dumping at landfill sites.

One advantage of this new, low-cost e-fuel is that it is, in part, independent of price developments relating to classical wood pellets. The cost of generating the electricity is around 50% lower than the normal household rate. The power plant can be fuelled either by classical wood pellets or the new fuel.

A compact turnkey plant in a container

At only one tonne the E3 is a lightweight, and also features impressively compact dimensions: only 1.86 m in length, 1.56 m in width and 2 m in height, it can fit on two steel pallets, can be shipped by air worldwide and will fit through any door. In addition the modular system is scalable, which means that a number of individual units can be combined into a larger plant.

In order to enable a fast operational start ENTRADE AG is now also offering the micro power plant in container form. Apart from the generator the container also accommodates the pellet bin and the complete control system, so that the plant can be put into operation at any given location within only two hours.

A number of E3 units are already in successful operation both within and outside of Europe, and in the coming weeks the plant will also be presented to investors and potential operators on the US market. At present the E3 is still being produced on a small scale, but full-scale series production will probably begin in September of this year.

For further details please see www.entrade.de.

Contact:
ENTRADE Energiesysteme AG
Felix Schmidt
Zimmerstr. 15a
40215 Düsseldorf
Tel.: +49 (0)211 24 79 23 70
Fax: +49 (0)211 24 79 23 82
Email: f.schmidt@entrade.de