Waste from water treatment and agriculture can become a valuable domestic resource for energy production, serving as an alternative to natural gas, said the Czech Ministry of Environment. Biogas – and especially biomethane, which closely matches the properties of natural gas – can support the transition away from coal while making better use of local energy sources. Biogas plants can utilise agricultural waste as well as sludge from wastewater treatment plants, enabling the production of energy and the use of residual materials as fertilisers.
“With nearly 500 million crowns [19.8 million euros] in support from the Ministry of the Environment’s Operational Program Environment, new biogas and biomethane plants will be constructed at seven locations in the Ústecký, Olomouc, South Bohemian and Liberec regions,” said the Minister of Environment, Petr Hladík. “Beyond utilising waste for energy production, we aim to gradually convert around 600 biogas plants to biomethane production, thus reducing the need for imported natural gas. Both biogas and biomethane are key in the transition away from coal and allow for better use of domestic energy resources, increasing the Czech Republic’s energy independence and security. Thanks to these facilities, waste can be further processed to create new energy from sewage sludge or organic waste.”
A new biogas plant will be built at the Litovel Wastewater Treatment Plant, allowing for the use of sewage sludge as well as other biodegradable waste, such as that from local food processing plants. This new facility is expected to process about 7,000 tons of waste annually, producing biogas with an energy value of nearly 5,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year, enough to heat more than 500 households with natural gas boilers.
The energy produced will meet the needs of the treatment plant and the surrounding area. In the future, the area will be connected to the central heating network and the local electricity distribution system.
Similarly, a biogas plant will be built by the AGRISPOL cooperative on currently unused land near the village of Mořice, where it will process around 29,000 tons of biodegradable waste. A cogeneration unit will supply the electricity needed to operate the biogas plant and the heat required to maintain the tank’s temperature. After purification, the remaining biogas, upgraded to natural gas quality, will be fed into the gas distribution network.
Other projects receiving support include the modernisation of the Všebořice biogas plant, the expansion of facilities for processing biodegradable municipal waste in Šumperk, upgrades to the Hroby biogas plant, construction of an energy center for the Srnín Bakery and increased heat production at the biogas plant in Jílové u Držkov.