E.ON and SBI open Denmark’s largest biogas plant

E.ON and Sønderjysk Biogas Invest (SBI) brought Denmark’s largest biogas plant, Sønderjysk Biogas, located in southern Jutland, officially into operation. The plant, which is E.ON’s biggest biogas plant, will convert about 540,000 tons of livestock manure, straw and other organic residues per year into green energy.

Sønderjysk Biogas will reduce Denmark’s annual CO₂ footprint by 51,000 tons by producing about 21 million cubic meters of upgraded biomethane that will be injected directly into the nationwide gas grid. This is equivalent to the energy consumption of 15,000 homes, or 570 city buses.

It all began in 2009, when 86 farmers in the local area came together to form Sønderjysk supplier association to jointly create the opportunity for the construction of a large biogas plant in southern Jutland. After some years of preparation E.ON was contacted in 2011 and soon after a joint venture was formed. Now Denmark’s largest biogas plant is in operation and will process annually some 425,000 tons of livestock manure from neighboring farmers, who are all located within an average radius of about 18 kilometers around the plant.

The biogas plant was built by the two partners E.ON Denmark A/S and the investor and supplier association SBI A/S, which supplies the plant with manure from more than 70 local farmers. The 50-50 percent joint venture between E.ON and SBI has invested over 33 million euro in the construction project. The biogas plant has created 50 jobs during the construction phase, 30 to 40 local secondary jobs and ten permanent jobs. Earlier this year, E.ON opened the biggest biogas plant in Nothern Jutland and will, with the opening of Sønderjysk Biogas, account for almost one-fifth of Denmark’s total biomethane production upgraded and distributed into the gas grid. Renewable energy has become a central pillar of E.ON’s strategy, alongside power grids and customer solutions.