The German plant manufacturer WELTEC BIOPOWER is supporting Yarra Valley Water for the refurbishment of its 1-megawatt biogas plant in the north of Melbourne. Yarra Valley Water, is one of Australia‘s largest water and wastewater companies. Since the completion of the waste and food waste plant by WELTEC BIOPOWER and its project partner in 2017, Yarra Valley Water’s Aurora Treatment Plant has been energy self-sufficient. In order to be able to operate the plant profitably into the future, it has been undergoing a technical modernization including biological service planned for August 2024. The work of the local team is being supported by WELTEC on site
The output of the plant, which has two 530-kilowatt CHP units, covers the energy requirements of the biogas plant. The electricity generated is able to power both the facility itself and the sewage treatment plant, with excess energy is exported to the electricity grid. The plant has a processing capacity of 33,000 tons of organic waste from food processors and restaurants to generate around 7,500,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year. Accepted waste includes fats, oils, brewery and dairy residues, fruit and vegetables which are fed into the stainless steel containers. The plant has already won prestigious awards for its technology: These include the Premier‘s Sustainability Award for leading innovation and practice in Victoria and the Banksia Award for Leading in Circular Economy.
At the start of the maintenance work, the tanks will first be completely emptied. In addition, the roofs of the two 3,573 cubic meter stainless steel fermenters and internal plant components such as the agitator technology will be replaced. The plant will then be commissioned and operational management will be secured. The digester contents will be temporarily stored in the storage tank and material can be filled back into the tanks after the refurbishment so the plant can be up and running quickly. This saves resources and costs. In addition, it is easier to restart the biological process when the fermented material is immediately available. Last but not least, the processes also comply with occupational safety requirements, which are a high priority in Australia – especially when emptying and filling the tanks. WELTEC will also provide on-site staff training.
“WELTEC BIOPOWER has been a valued partner in our successful journey with our Wollert Facility. We value their commitment to safety and quality and have leveraged their expertise in mechanical and biological consulting over the lifespan of our facility,” emphasizes Stephanie Salinas, Manager Waste to Energy Services at YVW. “WELTEC can look back on extensive experience with such complex refurbishment projects. We are delighted that we have been able to enjoy the trust of our customers over such a long period of time,” says Vladimir Bogatov, Area Sales Manager Asia Pacific at WELTEC BIOPOWER. With more than 400 biogas plants planned and built worldwide and a strong service department, WELTEC has the necessary level of expertise for such modernizations. This experience is also valued Down Under to ensure that the plant operation remains flexible and continues to live up to its reputation as one of Australia‘s most innovative biogas projects in the future
Company Portrait
Since its foundation in 2001, the WELTEC Group from Vechta in Lower Saxony, Germany, has been contributing to the success of the energy transition. The specialist has developed into one of the world‘s leading providers for the construction and operation of biogas and biomethane plants. The group covers the entire biogas value chain, including the design, planning and setup of energy plants, 24/7 service, sustainable utilization concepts for the output flows and ongoing or temporary plant operation – an area in which it has more than 15 years of experience
The establishment of individual, technically mature solutions with custom-tailored processes is one of the strengths of WELTEC BIOPOWER. Moreover, the use of stainless-steel technologies ensures flexible substrate input, quick and inexpensive assembly and a consistently high quality standard, regardless of the location. Following the go-live, WELTEC can take care of the mechanical and biological service in order to ensure efficiency of the plants.
The company also boasts a wealth of experience in the field of biogas generation and utilization. In Germany, the annual output of the 11 group-owned plants amounts to about 280 million standard m³ of raw biogas a year. Part of the renewable raw material is processed into biomethane and distributed to energy suppliers and petrol stations. Additionally, the biogas is used to supply heat to municipalities and businesses – e.g. in the field of horticulture, housing construction and healthcare – at a total of 16 locations within the scope of WELTEC energy contracting.
Apart from the entire biogas value chain, the portfolio also covers agricultural trade including transport, farm services and manure utilization. For WELTEC, proximity to customers and investors is very important. These include businesses from industries such as agriculture, food, waste and wastewater. With its global sales and service network and a team of 170 employees, the company has already installed more than 400 energy plants in 26 countries on five continents
