Sustainable Energy Cycle for Mallorca: MWM Gas Engines Produce Eco-Friendly Energy from Organic Waste

Mannheim, July 28, 2020 

Mallorca’s environmental technology park processes more than 730,000 t of waste a year. Apart the infrastructure, the additional waste caused by tourism also represents a challenge for the island with regard to the waste disposal and processing. Thus, the so-called “zero-waste” model is employed to handle the waste problem: in Mallorca’s environmental technology park, all waste of the Balearic island is either used as raw material or transformed into energy in recovery plants.

Waste Upgrade and Recycling for an Effective Recycling Economy

The objective of the model is to upgrade all waste in such a way that it can be reused as material or for energy generation purposes. Any waste that cannot be utilized is to be eliminated in an eco-friendly manner. Following a meticulous separation process, any waste that cannot be recycled is used to generate energy whenever this is possible. The environmental technology park’s recovery plant thus generates enough energy to cover the consumption of about 53,000 households.  In a methanization plant, biogas is gained from the digestion of organic waste. This utilization process also yields methane gas, which is used as fuel for the production of electrical energy. The digestate, i.e. the residual material that is left over after the digestion process, is transferred to the composting plants.

MWM TCG 2020 V12 Gas Engine for Even More Efficient Distributed Energy Generation

The generated biogas serves as fuel for an MWM TBG 620 V12K gas engine with an output of 940 kW. Some of the power generated by the engine is fed into the power grid. In order to further expand this sustainable cycle and the plant of the environmental technology park, an additional MWM TCG 2020 V12 gas engine with an output of 1.2 MW and an overall efficiency of 83.9 percent was integrated in July 2019 for the purpose of modernizing the facilities. In addition to the gas engine, a biogas treatment system consisting of a biogas cooler, an active carbon filter, and a fan to achieve the biogas pressure required to fuel the gas engines was installed for the modernization project. The two MWM gas engines produce the heat required for the digester and more electrical energy than the entire system needs. The excess power is fed into the local power grid and contributes to the island’s supply with clean, eco-friendly energy.

Economical Energy Generation from Biogas

Energy from biomass can make a significant contribution to sustainable energy supply. Currently, biogas offers the highest user benefit and the best utilization of the energy potential of biomass. MWM offers biogas-optimized gas engines, complete plants, and containers for combined heat and power (CHP) generation. MWM cogeneration power plants (CHP plants) enable economic, efficient energy generation and are suitable for flexible operation. The on-site plant transforms the employed energy into electrical energy and heat. MWM’s CHP plants, gas engines, and containers achieve maximum efficiency in various output segments. MWM also provides the system components required for gas processing and treatment. Where gensets are installed in remote areas, the generated energy can even be used exclusively by the plant.

Further information:

• MWM Power Plant Solutions for Agricultural Biogas Plants
• MWM Gas Engines and Power Gensets
• MWM Cogeneration Power Plants
• MWM TCG 2020 Gas Engine
• Press release: MWM Flex Cogeneration Power Plant for Biogas Plant in Lower Saxony Designated “Cogeneration Power Plant of the Month” of January
• Using the Flexibility Bonus: Flexible Biogas Future with MWM (in German)
• MWM press release: Installation of MWM TCG 3016 Genset in Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant in Madrid for a Higher Performance and Reliability: MWM Completes Three-Phased Renewal of Viveros de la Villa