Swiss energy service provider IWB produces regenerative heat and CO2-absorbing biochar from green waste.
The Basel based IWB has realized the first climate-neutral district heating project in Switzerland. Using our newly developed PX1500, IWB is now feeding an annual heating capacity of around 1.5 gigawatt hours into the district heating network. That covers the energy needs of about 170 Basel households. IWB uses only regional, untreated biomass such as wood and green waste from a maximum radius of 40 kilometers. In the PYREG plant, this high-quality biomass is carbonized into biochar at 500 to 700 degrees Celsius in the absence of oxygen. In this biochar, CO2 is safely bound. Subsequently dispersed into the earth it ends up in a permanent carbon sink.
IWB sells premium biochar and closes the loop
Through the advanced temperature-controlled Pyreg carbonization, IWB produces a premium biochar certified as the internationally accepted “EBC-AgroBio“. That biochar complies with the requirements for EU-wide use as a soil conditioner – even in organic farming. IWB sells the biochar – ca. 550 metric tons per year – to both, agricultural enterprises, and private customers. By doing so, IWB is also setting new standards for circular economy in the municipal sector.
A flagship project
“IWB is a pioneer in climate protection and living proof of the enormous climate protection value that lies in CO2-negative district heating,” says Helmut Gerber, CTO and founder of PYREG GmbH, adding, “We are convinced that flagship projects like this one in Switzerland will follow worldwide. They are important as we have no more time to lose on the way to achieving the Paris climate protection goals.”
“With this, our first biochar plant IWB emphasizes our leading role as a service provider for renewable energy. Decarbonizing the heat supply is one of our most important tasks, and not just in Basel. We carry this mission throughout Switzerland. The plant is a showcase project in terms of decarbonization and energy efficiency. Also, our customers gain from the ecological benefits of the biochar,” says Dr. Arthur Janssen, Head of Strategy & Innovation at IWB.
0 Comments
Trackbacks/Pingbacks