Turning biogas into electricity

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The construction work in Düdingen cost CHF7.5 million, supported financially by a local electricity company, E Greenwatt. swissinfo.ch

The command centre for the biogas production. swissinfo.ch

Liquid sewage and manure make up the biggest share of the organic ingredients used to produce biogas. Some material also comes from local firms and private households in the region. swissinfo.ch

A close-up of the fermenter: The fermenting process and the production of biogas reduces CO2 emissions by about a third in farms providing organic compost. swissinfo.ch

The thermal power station and the silo where the pellets are stored before they are sold to clients. swissinfo.ch

The engine of the thermal power plant that transforms biogas into electricity and heat. swissinfo.ch

The sawdust is used for the production of pellets. The wood comes from the region. swissinfo.ch

The wood shavings are dried using the heat generated by the biogas plant. swissinfo.ch

Wood only and no glue: An innovative method is used to produce the pellets. swissinfo.ch

Operation centre in the pellet factory. swissinfo.ch

The pellets (left) and the raw material. swissinfo.ch

Buildings with low CO2 emmissions also use pellets for heating. swissinfo.ch

Solar panels on the roof of the pellet factory. swissinfo.ch

The converters are needed to feed the energy into the local electricity grid. swissinfo.ch

Oskar Schneuwly, one of the four promoters of Düdingen's Energy Park, says the site is like a cow. It needs looking after every day. swissinfo.ch

The four farmers who launched the project won an innovation prize from the Fribourg cantonal authorities in 2012. swissinfo.ch

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The award-winning Energy Park in Düdingen is considered a model for the use of agricultural resources in the energy sector. The plant produces electricity for several hundred households and heat for a pellet factory.

The four promoters – Oskar Schneuwly, Oswald Bäriswyl, Markus Jungo and Hubert Grossrieder – all run their own farms outside Fribourg. They joined forces to open the biogas power plant last year. It uses manure and liquid sewage from 30 farms in the region. The gas produces 2.2 GW of electricity per year which is fed into the local grid and meets the needs of 450 households. The other 2.4 GW per year go towards a factory producing small compressed wood particles which are sold in the region. Photovoltaic panels generate electricity for about 50 households. (Pictures: Rolf Amiet, swissinfo.ch and Düdingen Energy Park)