Groengas Cothen
The digester in Cothen will be operational from the end of 2023.
Project details
Enough energy generation to heat 6,800 homes, which is 65% of all homes in the Wijk bij Duurstede municipality.
Collaboration with local initiators
Latest technology and scale make sustainability profitable
Eight farmers from the Cothen area launched the project in 2014. Together they formed ‘Groene Energie Kromme Rijn en Heuvelrug BV’. The dairy farmers’ goal is to upscale their cattle manure through bio-digestion while fundamentally reducing ammonia and greenhouse gases, such as methane emissions. This fully fits with the vision for circular farming.
Collaboration, centralisation and current economies of scale make it possible to apply the latest techniques. This will enable a sustainable and efficient contribution to the necessary green gas targets as set by the ministry in the ‘route kaart groengas’.
Joining forces for a sustainable future
When it comes to managing and building biogas plants, attention to different perspectives and technological developments is essential. If you are not fully focused on this, you run the risk of falling behind and possibly suffering unwanted consequences. That is why dairy farmers from Cothen decided to outsource the construction and operation of their project to BioValue. BioValue has the expertise and experience to build, operate and maintain biogas plants.
The biogas plant is a ‘co-digester’. Both organic waste streams and manure go into a co-digester. This is the case at all of BioValue’s plants. The biogas released is converted to green gas and can be fed directly into the local gas grid.
Manage and optimise
For farmers, BioValue is a company with proven experience and expertise. We have taken over an installation already under construction more than once, such as at Schoongas Sint Nicolaasgaand Peters Biogas. Our specialists know how to analyse and improve an existing biogas plant. The goal has always been to produce biogas and thus green gas as efficiently and sustainably as possible, while respecting the environment.
“BioValue takes the environment in which the plant is located seriously. This is also important to us. It should look pleasing and not cause any (odor) nuisance. Moreover, this project ensures that the Kromme Rijnstreek contributes an extra bit to the regional and national energy transition!”
Willem van der Horst
Planning and production
The first operating hall is already in place, and we are now continuing to build a ‘third generation biogas plant’. This means that all business processes take place indoors and under strictly controlled conditions. This allows us to prevent nuisances even better and ensure that the business process is carried out optimally.
On an annual basis, Groengas Cothen will produce 8 million cubic metres of green gas. Converted to electricity, that’s 73 million kilowatt hours! To generate that, you need about 100 soccer fields full of solar panels. Total energy generation is enough to heat 6,800 homes per year.
Groengas Cothen is expected to be operational by the end of 2023.
