Photo exhibition

A beautiful rainbow appeared over the new biomethane plant of the Società Agricola Palazzetto, Italy. The company is cutting-edge and over the years has invested not only in bioenergy but also in animal welfare and soil protection (minimum processing and organic fertilisation with digestate). The new biomethane plant can produce 5,000,000 cubic meters/year of biomethane to be fed into the grid, which equates to a saving of over 11,000 tonnes/year of CO2.

In radiant sunlight, a man steps forward between digesters, emblematic of a biogas plant's operations. The gleaming sun accentuates the scene's simplicity and the man's quiet pride in his work.

Wouter Platteau, executive director at BiogasTec, and project leader Stijn De Ridder can be seen at Albertstroom NV, one of BiogasTec’s 6 operational installations. With an installed capacity of 13 Mwe, the Albertstroom site is the largest installation in the BiogasTec portfolio (the installed capacity of the entire portfolio amounts to 26 Mwe) and is one of the largest biogas projects in Flanders. The ability to process all types of waste, including packaged waste, the optimal on-site use of heat and electricity and the close cooperation with nearby companies all make Albertstroom NV a forward-looking, state-of-the-art installation.

Biomethane is the epitome of a circular economy. By turning waste into value, we offer stable renewable energy production and at the same time we ensure that all nutrients are recycled and used as fertiliser for tomorrow’s food production. Like the bees that pollinate the crops, biomethane is an indispensable cornerstone linking the organic waste our need for food inevitably generates to a sustainable energy source that also produces fertiliser for ongoing food production. In this circle, biodiversity plays a decisive role. Be the future. Be circular. Be like the bee.

View of the entrance to the Biolvegas biomethane plant, which was commissioned in April 2023. The plant has an injection power of 5000 kW and treats 46,000 tonnes of organic waste per year.

The photo was taken during a tour of the site of the intermunicipal waste company, EcoWerf. On 17 March 2023, EcoWerf opened its new anaerobic digester, which produces biogas from organic waste. About 50,000 tonnes of organic waste can be processed every year. The organic waste is first digested and then mixed with green waste for further composting. The biogas produced can be valorised locally in a CHP. 25% of the energy produced is reused in the company’s own buildings and installations; 75% is distributed via the electricity grid. This results in a CO2 saving of approximately 5000 tonnes per year. In this way, EcoWerf helps Flanders to achieve its climate objectives.

Picture taken at night through the viewing portal into a digester, showing the activity in the digester and the build-up of sulphur around the viewing portal.