On Friday, the organic biogas plant Nature Energy Månsson was inaugurated. The plant produces biogas to the gas grid by converting slurry and food waste into biogas. The plant is a part of the green transition of the gas grid and can easily be exported to other countries.

- The biogas plant in Brande is a good example that Denmark is a green pioneer. The sector for biogas is a sector with a huge export potential, witch potentially can create many jobs in Denmark, says the managing director of Nature Energy Ole Hvelplund.

An analysis from Damvad Analytics show that the biogas sector can contribute with up to DKK 16,000million a year to the BNP and create 20,000 jobs across Denmark. The biogas plant also has a lot of local importance, since a number of organic agriculture depends on accessibility to organic fertilizers:

- I am incredibly proud that the first organically produced biogas in the gas grid comes from the municipality of Ikast-Brande. The plant is a green beacon for the municipality, and has a big significance to the municipality’s many organic farmers, says Ib Boye Lauritsen, Mayor of Ikat-Brande municipality.

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A food scandal kick started the project
Egyptian fenugreek seeds combined with a distinct desire for experimenting is just a few things, which contributed to the realisation of the biggest Danish organic biogas plant:

-  This road has been long and not without challenges. Actually, one of the challenges is the food scandal Europe witnessed the summer of 2011. Back then, a group of Germans became ill, and at first blamed at lettuce. All salad from German producers was retrieved and the use of salad dropped throughout Europe. We did break a sweat, as we produce a great share of the salad, in this garden center, says Axel Månsson, director of the garden center Axel Månsson, and continues:

- However, there was nothing wrong with our salad. Actually, the salad was not to blame. It turned out that the sinner was imported Egyptian fenugreek seeds. It made me realise that even the suspicion of something being wrong with our products, could ruin our business. We had to minimise that risk and that is why I decided to build a biogas plant.

The plant is established in close cooperation with Nature Energy, who is Denmark’s leading producer of biogas. The plant is yet an important part of the green transition of the gas grid:

-  The plant in Brande is another contribute to the green transition of the gas grid, where agricultural waste products, organic industrial waste and house waste replaces the natural gas.  Denmark can actually be the first country in Europe to dismiss fossil natural gas as by 2035 it will already be possible to cover the Danish companies and households gas consumption  with green biogas, says managing director of Nature Energy Ole Hvelplund.

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Facts on the organic biogas plant:

• The plant processes 150.000 tonnes of biomass a year, consisting of manure, bio-waste and clover grass.
• The plants yearly biogas production can heat 4,000 households or keep a biogas bus running for 14 million km.
• The amount of slurry in the plant alone can make a biogas bus drive over 1,185,000 km or approximately 30 times around the earth.
• The plant in Brande is the first organic biogas plant in Denmark, which delivers biogas to the Danes via the gas grid.
• The plant’s location outside the town of Brande is close to Axel Månssons production and the national gas grid.
• The biogas plant in Brande, is owned by Axel Månsson organic and Nature Energy.

-Source: Nature Energy