Biowert Biorefinery

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Nombre / Name
Biowert Biorefinery
Empresa / Company
Biowert GmbH
Localización / Location
Brensbach (Alemania / Germany)
Categoría / Category
Comercial / Commercial
Estado / Status
Operación / Running
Plataforma / Platform
Soluciones orgánicas (jugo verde y fibras), biogás, calor y electricidad / Organic solutions (green juice and fibres), biogás, electricity and heat
Materia prima / Feedstock
Hierba / Grass
Producto / Product
Fibras celulósicas de alta calidad, nutrientes y biogás / High-quality cellulosic fibres, nutrients and biogas

Figure 1. Biowert Biorefinery (extracted from Reference 1)

Originariamente, el concepto de esta biorrefinería comercial (“the grass factory”) proviene de Suiza. Hoy en día, con su centro productivo en Brensbach (Región de Odenwald, Hesse), Biowert GmbH tiene su sede en Alemania. Los departamentos de marketing, gestión estratégica, ventas y distribución siguen ubicados en Aarau (Suiza). Originally, the concept for this commercial biorefinery ("the grass factory") comes from Switzerland. Today, with its production site in Brensbach (Odenwald region, Hesse), Biowert GmbH is based in Germany. The marketing, the strategic management, the sales and the distribution remain anchored in Aarau (Switzerland).

La biorrefinería es el corazón de la tecnología Biowert que procesa hierba de prados locales en varias etapas para obtener biomateriales. La unidad de procesado de hierba está acoplada a una planta de biogás. La hierba se mezcla con agua procedente de la planta de biogás y se calienta. La suspensión caliente se trata mecánicamente en un proceso de varias etapas y luego es suavemente secada para producir fibras. La separación se lleva a cabo de manera completamente mecánica sin emplear productos químicos o disolventes orgánicos. El proceso de secado en dos etapas específicamente desarrollado para esta aplicación es fundamental para la producción de fibras celulósicas de alta calidad. Estas fibras purificadas son procesadas para obtener material de aislamiento (AgriCellBW) y perfiles y gránulos de composite (AgriPlastBW). Además, los nutrientes (AgriFerBW) del digestato de la planta de biogás se recuperan y se redistribuyen a los granjeros que han cultivado la hierba. The biorefinery is the heart of the Biowert technology that processes locally supplied meadow grass in several stages into biomaterials. The grass processing unit is directly coupled with a biogas plant. The grass is mixed with process water from the biogas plant and heated. The heated suspension is mechanically treated in a multistage process and then is gently dried in order to produce fibres. The separation runs completely mechanical without any application of chemicals or organic solvents. The specially developed two-step drying process is paramount for the production of high quality cellulosic fibres. These purified fibres are further processed to insulation material (AgriCellBW) and composite granulate or profiles (AgriPlastBW). In addition, nutrients (AgriFerBW) from the digestate of the biogas plant are recovered and redistributed to farmers that have grown the grass.

Figure 2. Schematic diagram of the production process (extracted from Reference 2)

Todos los subproductos y residuos son reutilizados o devueltos al ciclo de producción de tal manera que el proceso de fabricación constituye un circuito cerrado. Toda el agua proviene de la biomasa húmeda y es constantemente reacondicionada por lo que no se bombea agua del suministro público. La energía requerida en el proceso es suministrada por la planta de biogás que opera con residuos de la refinería de hierba y residuos de comida desinfectados de la región. El biogás y el calor residual son usados para calentar agua, en procesos de secado o para generar bioenergía. El almacenamiento de la materia prima permite una producción continua a lo largo de todo el año. La planta Biowert está diseñada para una capacidad anual de 2.500 toneladas de fibras. All byproducts and waste materials are reused or supplied back to the production cycle in the closed-loop manufacturing process. All the water comes from meadow grass and biomass and is constantly reconditioned so that no water must be pumped in from the public water supply. The required process energy is provided by the affiliated biogas plant that runs on waste from the grass-refinery and sanitized food waste from the region. Biogas and waste heat from the production process are used for heating water, for drying processes and for generating green electricity. Stockpiling of raw material allows a year round production. The Biowert plant is designed for an annual capacity of 2,500 tons of fibers.

Figure 3. Biowert closed-loop manufacturing process (extracted from Reference 1)

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REFERENCIAS / REFERENCES
1 www.biowert.de (accessed on 7th April 2016).
2 IEA Bioenergy Task 42 Biorefining. Sustainable and synergetic processing of biomass into marketable food & feed ingredients, products (chemicals, materials) and energy (fuels, power, heat).  Wageningen, the Netherlands, August 2014.

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