Wangen Pumps helps TerraSol to increase biogas production from agricultural by-products

German biogas supplier TerraSol Wirtschaftsdünger has significantly enhanced production at its Dorsten facility, thanks to the integration of a BIO-MIX 200 from Wangen Pumps. This hopper feed pump mixes and transports diverse organic materials to the digester tanks at the precise speeds and high pressures necessary for optimizing biogas generation. The BIO-MIX 200’s high throughput and robust performance have enabled TerraSol Wirtschaftsdünger GmbH (a joint venture between AGRAVIS Raiffeisen AG and ODAS GmbH) to meet the increasing demand for renewable energy by efficiently processing a larger volume of agricultural by-products.

Biogas business expansion

TerraSol was established in 2014 to recycle organic waste from the Münsterland region. Its feedstocks are predominantly agricultural by-products from surrounding farms. Like many renewable energy companies, TerraSol has experienced significant growth in demand for its biogas, and biomethane in particular, as the energy transition gathers pace. To achieve their energy production goals, they needed to process a much larger volume of waste with differing compositions, such as solid and liquid farm manure, corn silage, and sugar beets. 

Investment in new equipment was necessary to ensure the media reaching the digester tanks was properly mixed and delivered at the correct speeds and pressures to optimize biogas production, increasing the plant’s overall operational efficiency. Equipment reliability was a key consideration for TerraSol. Any plant outages or digestion failure would be very costly for the business and could adversely impact the local population.

TerraSol turned to Wangen Pumps for a solution that would optimize efficiency and uptime. This was not the first time the companies had worked together. TerraSol had installed three BIO-MIX 165.2 units from Wangen Pumps in their feed lines when the plant was originally commissioned, and had been very pleased with the technical performance and customer support they received. This positive experience made Wangen Pumps the obvious choice when TerraSol needed an even more powerful pump.

Markus Stenzel, Wangen Pumps Application Engineer, says: “As a specialist in anaerobic digestion pump systems, we understand the challenges that companies like TerraSol face when scaling up their plant. Twenty years ago, organic waste was treated on a small scale, often within individual farms. Today, the growing demand for sustainable biogas production means plants are larger, the organic materials are more diverse, and the process is more industrialized. Larger-scale production places greater demands on essential processing equipment. Wangen Pumpen has responded by expanding its existing BIO-MIX range of pumps to meet the delivery rates and other operational parameters that modern biogas plants require.” 

Improving gas quality and volume

Wangen Pumps recommended the BIO-MIX 200, which has a high throughput rate of up to 30 tonnes per hour, to meet TerraSol’s high requirements. The BIO-MIX 200 has a delivery rate of 150 cubic meters per hour, achieving the highest flow rate in its class, coupled with operating pressures of up to 8 bar. Featuring a large 150mm ball passage, this robust and durable pump works within a wide viscosity range, reliably pumping hydrophobic, abrasive, and fibrous components.

The BIO-MIX 200 delivers up to 18 percent dry material content at the pump outlet. Media is mixed to the desired consistency within the hopper. Spigots on both sides of the pump allow liquid to be fed in for mashing, as needed. Achieving the optimal consistency before the digestate enters the tank decreases the need for stirring during fermentation, resulting in energy savings. The pump’s screw design also ensures there is sufficient clearance along the length of the hopper for contaminants to be diverted and removed, enhancing the quality of the media and improving gas quality and volume. 

Successful trial

TerraSol installed the BIO-MIX 200 on a trial basis in April 2024. The benefits quickly became clear. TerraSol’s Operations Manager, Felix Blomen, said: “After a two-week test phase, it was clear that the new system meets the high standards. The throughput rates are impressive, and it copes well with varying substrates with different moisture content. It transports the media with ease, even over long sections and despite large variations in height within the plant. The BIO-MIX 200 is also quiet in operation, so our neighbours are happy too.”

Today, TerraSol recycles more than 190,000 tonnes of regional farm manure annually. The plant’s annual energy output is around 65 gigawatt-hours, with about 75% of the raw gas being treated on-site and fed into the local natural gas grid as biomethane. The BIO-MIX 200 from Wangen Pumps underpins this ongoing success story, providing the high flow volumes at high pressure essential for efficient biogas production at scale.

For more information visit: wangen.com

• wp_statistics_words_count: 792