By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor LUDWIGSFELDE, Germany — Against a backdrop of depleting natural resources and a growing national concern for climate change, the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection piloted a voluntary competition to establish bioenergy regions.
The competition, initiated in 2008 and funded through 2012, aims to contribute to the growth of the bioenergy sector in Germany and to promote its development in rural areas. So far, 25 regions and 30 villages have qualified for this status in Germany, including the city of Ludwigsfelde, near the capital of Berlin.
Germany’s intention, as a member of the European Union, is to cover 20 percent of its energy needs by 2020 and 50 percent by 2050. Currently, bioenergy in Germany encompasses 5 percent of the country’s primary energy consumption.
“Climate change is real, our fossil fuels are limited – we think that a sustainable alternative is not only needed, but we think it’s possible to connect energy to renewable energy in Germany,” said Ludwigsfelde Deputy Mayor Wilfried Thielicke.
Established objectives in Ludwigsfelde, a region of more than 20,000 residents, include supporting a regional added-value chain – from raw material production through conditioning to conversion and utilization of biomass energy. This is to expand a bioenergy network, to largely replace fossil fuels, improve quality of life, contribute to biodiversity, soil fertility, water and emission control, build knowledge and promote acceptance and resolve and eliminate conflicts between parties of different interests.
While still at the conceptual level, the intention is for farms and central heating plants to integrate anaerobic digesters/bioenergy technology that generate heat and electricity to be distributed through the village heating/electricity grids in the region, said Thielicke. He added that Ludwigsfelde is divided into 11 distinct communities for this purpose.
Specifically, each region receives between 3,000-4,000 Euros (approximately $4,400-$5,900 USD) to carry out objectives as a qualified bioenergy region in Germany.
Former waste treatment area One particular area of bioenergy research in Ludwigsfelde is a remote area in Brandenburg owned by the city of Berlin, that at the end of the 19th century became a waste treatment area for the two million citizens of Berlin.
Formerly a productive site, the area is now abandoned, polluted (from oil, industrial waste and pharmaceuticals) and can no longer be used for agriculture production. The first attempt at revitalization for this area focused on reforestation in 1996, and today research concentrates on its potential for energy production, including biomass crops for the region of Ludwigsfelde’s energy needs.
“Here, we could plant short, rotational crop trees (poplar, willow and others from the area),” said Professor Martin Kaupenjohanns of Berlin. “The advantage to this site is that carbon absorbs and binds with the pollutants in the ground.
“We’re aware of the environmental dangers here, and our intention is to reduce pollutants (in the ground) over a period of time. Basically, by increasing the carbon concentration, (through the production of biomass) we will improve fertility and store carbon in soil – improving carbon sequestration.”
The goal is to begin research this fall, but early tests already show a high concentration of phosphorous, which may be a concern for biomass production, explained Kaupenjohanns.
“Each region has a different plan; some don’t focus on agriculture solely, some focus on hydrothermal carbonization, where this area is also considered an innovator,” he added.
Hydrothermal carbonization, a relatively new concept for Germans, is another way to extract carbon from biomass.
“The difference is that all minerals contained are released into water. The water heats up to 200 degrees Celsius (392 Fahrenheit), then is pressurized and cooked five to 10 hours,” said Kaupenjohanns. “The result is carbon that is separate from water, with all minerals remaining in the water. The water can then be used as fertilizer. We are testing this new technology here in Ludwigsfelde.”
While new opportunities are forming for citizens of Ludwigsfelde to incorporate new sources of energy, opportunities are also developing for farmers to grow biomass and/or build digesters and combustion units to generate heat and electricity.
One large-scale organic farmer, Erhard Thale from Ludwigsfelde, who farms more than 2,000 acres of rye, peas, corn and grass with his family, is considering switching to energy crop production for its potential price advantage.
“We have had three long years of losing money, with the soil quality here we get low yields and our subsidies are decreasing, too,” said Thale. “It may be time to consider a new alternative. I’m looking at all my options.”
Alternatives for Thale include walking away from his farm altogether if he continues to lose money, or “take my chances with these good researchers to grow energy crops. This needs to be a closed cycle if I participate – sending them my crops for bioenergy production, and then getting the fertilizer back to put back on my fields.”
For more information on Ludwigsfelde bioenergy projects, visit www.bioenergie-region-ludwigsfelde.de and for further details on other bioenergy regions in Germany, visit www.bioenergie-regionen.de |
