WELTEC BIOPOWER builds its first biogas plant in Taiwan

For the 360kw plant, the German biogas specialist is supplying a proven turnkey solution based on high-quality stainless steel technologies. For the project, WELTEC is responsible for the engineering, the execution and the complete service including biological analyses.

Construction at the operator’s headquarters in Tainan City, on the southwest coast of Taiwan, is scheduled to begin in 2023; commissioning is planned for 2024.

“Because this is our first biogas plant in the country, we are particularly pleased to be able to contribute our proven technology to this project,“ says Vladimir Bogatov, the Area Sales Manager responsible for the Asia-Pacific region at WELTEC BIOPOWER.

In addition to the electricity fed into the grid, part of it will be used for the plant’s own use. The heat from the biogas plant is also used to heat the operator’s production facilities directly at the plant and via a local heating network: among other things, it is used to supply a pigsty that is equipped by WELTEC’s parent company WEDA Dammann & Westerkamp. The circular economy concept envisages using the pig manure produced as the main substrate for the operation of the biogas plant.

The stainless steel fermenters take into account the special requirements of the island state: due to its tectonic position, Taiwan experiences strong earthquakes with far-reaching consequences with above-average frequency.

The special stainless steel construction and high stability of the biogas plant is adapted to the high earthquake probability and the local wind load specifications.

Another advantage is that only a small amount of work is required for the on-site construction, as the project is intensively accompanied by the WELTEC team from the headquarters in Vechta.

“We are extremely happy with our partnership with WELTEC BIOPOWER, one of the world‘s leading companies in the field of biogas plant construction. The plant quality, the high technical standard, the expertise in project implementation, especially in Asia and the after-sales support in plant efficiency immediately convinced us and our customers of the cooperation,” explains the Managing Director of Melchers Taiwan, Tudor Pascu. “And the fact that WELTEC BIOPOWER has already realised several projects in Japan, South Korea and China may prove to be a strategic advantage for further biogas projects in Taiwan in the future,” Comments Bogatov.

Such framework conditions should also contribute significantly to Taiwan becoming a climate-neutral economy by 2050 as planned.

At the end of March 2022, this goal was published by the government in Taipei as part of a new roadmap. The roadmap envisages billions of dollars in state investment for this project. It is expected that already experienced market players such as Melchers Taiwan and WELTEC BIOPOWER will play an important role in this process and are eager to cooperate with the authorities to support the implementation path.