Bitburger Braugruppe GmbH: Replacement of Two MWM Gas Engines in Cogeneration Power Plant to Generate Heat and Power for Beer Production
Mannheim, October 7, 2024
After more than 60,000 operating hours, the time has come for the replacement of the engines of the cogeneration power plant of Bitburger Braugruppe GmbH in Bitburg in Germany’s Eifel region. Since 2014, two MWM TCG 2020 V20 gas engines have been generating energy for the production processes at the location. After 10 years of operation, the two MWM engines are now being replaced by two MWM TCG 3020 V20 gas engines of the latest engine generation. The first gas engine was replaced in the spring of this year. The second one will be installed in the fourth quarter of this year. The two natural gas-fired TCG 3020 V20 gas engines each have an electrical output of 2,000 kW and a thermal output of 2,066 kW. The electrical efficiency of the cogeneration power plant is 43.4 percent, and its thermal efficiency amounts to 44.6 percent. With the new engines, the total efficiency of the cogeneration power plant thus amounts to 87.8 percent.
MWM gas engines secure company’s power supply
To ensure uninterrupted energy supply for the beer production, the engines of the cogeneration power plant are being replaced in two stages. For seasonal reasons, the beer production is higher than usual especially in the summer months. Therefore, it is not possible to interrupt operations. The first MWM gas engine was already replaced in spring. “We planned about five weeks for each engine replacement”, explains Bastian Hargarten, Head of Technical Infrastructure and Maintenance at Bitburger Braugruppe GmbH. The second engine will be replaced at the end of this year. “To meet this tight schedule, the mechanical work is carried out in two shifts”, says Hargarten.
Use of engine waste heat for production processes
The MWM TCG 3020 V20 gas engines generate heat and power for the beer production. The heat and power generated by the cogeneration power plant are used entirely for the Bitburg location. Additionally, the two new MWM TCG 3020 V20 engines will be equipped with customized pre-fitted selective catalytic reduction (SCR) solutions in order to meet current and future emission requirements. Two heat storage units, each with a capacity of 200 m3, serve as heat buffers for overheating protection of the engines. Moreover, a two-pass heat recovery steam boiler and two waste heat exchangers are installed for the cogeneration power plant in order to deliver a total thermal output of 4 MW. In 2025, two new high-temperature heat pumps will be installed in order to enable comprehensive utilization of the waste heat from the gas engines for the provision of steam and hot water.
The cogeneration power plant with the two new MWM TCG 3020 V20 gas engines will supply about 18 consumption points at the operating location with energy. These include heating systems, pasteurization systems, flash pasteurizers, and beer heating units. The cogeneration power plant is monitored and controlled via the digital MWM power plant control system TPEM (Total Plant & Energy Management).
Fit for the future with MWM gas engines
Bitburger Braugruppe was especially impressed by the long maintenance intervals of the MWM TCG 3020 V20 gas engines of up to 80,000 operating hours. “If necessary, MWM TCG 3020 V20 gas engines can also be retrofitted for operation with natural gas with a hydrogen admixture of up to 25 vol% or for mixed operation with biogas”, says Hargarten. “This puts us in a good and flexible position for the future.”
