Green energy for Holzindustrie Schweighofer’s sawmill in Germany
- Holzindustrie Schweighofer to construct a biomass cogeneration plant at its site in Kodersdorf, Germany
- Investment of € 24 million – one of Germany’s most modern plants for the production of green energy
- Plant will be operational by 2020
Holzindustrie Schweighofer, one of Europe’s leading wood processing companies, took over the sawmill in Kodersdorf, Saxony (Germany) in 2015. The company has been expanding the production capacity ever since. Today, the mill produces lumber and planed products that are especially tailored to the US and the Japanese markets. With its 430 employees, the company is also an important employer in the region.
CO2-neutral production of green energy
Holzindustrie Schweighofer is investing € 24 million in the construction of a biomass cogeneration plant (heat and power) at its site in Kodersdorf. The plant, which will have a maximum capacity of over 5 MWel (electric output) and 15 MWtherm (thermal output) will be amongst the most modern green energy plants in Germany. Die electricity production corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of about 12,500 two-person households. The biomass cogeneration plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2020.
Frank Badeda, Managing Director of Holzindustrie Schweighofer Germany: "With the new biomass cogeneration plant we are taking a significant step towards sustainability and security of supply. Our sawmill will produce significantly more green energy than we need for our production processes. The excess green electricity will be fed into the public grid. Hence, we are decreasing our energy dependency and thereby increasing our competitiveness, while at the same time contributing to the supply of green electricity to private households.”
Security of supply and sustainability
With its own biomass cogeneration plant, the mill will both improve its energy efficiency, since electricity and heat will be produced simultaneously, as well as its security of supply. Whereas other forms of green energy production are dependent on weather conditions (e.g. wind and solar power), electricity generation from biomass delivers reliable CO2-neutral electricity around the clock. While the electricity will be used to power production processes, the surplus heat generated during electricity generation will be used to dry Holzindustrie Schweighofer’s high-quality wood products. Only natural bark and forest biomass will be used as fuel for the combined heat and power plant.
“ We process 100 per cent of our raw material and are careful not to waste this sustainable resource. Even bark is not considered waste, but is used in the sense of the recycling economy – in future also for energy”, explains Frank Badeda.
