Wood-fired power plant to be built in Frauenfeld
Zurich/Frauenfeld – A wood-fired power plant is to be put into operation in Frauenfeld in 2022. To realize this project, Energie 360° and Schweizer Zucker AG will found Bioenergie Frauenfeld AG. The sugar factory and city of Frauenfeld will use the thermal energy produced at the new power plant.
The Zurich-based energy and mobility specialist Energie 360° and Schweizer Zucker AG are together constructing a wood-fired power plant located in Frauenfeld in the canton of Thurgau. From June 2022 onwards, this should supply power to around 8,000 households in addition to heat for the sugar factory and the Frauenfeld West district heating network. For this purpose, the two companies will jointly establish Bioenergie Frauenfeld AG, describing the new wood-fired power plant as “climate-positive” in a press release.
Wood gas will be generated from the wood heated in a thermo-chemical process at the new power plant. The gas will be used to power motors that produce renewable energy from it. During this thermo-chemical process, reusable biochar is produced. This means that each year around 9,000 tons of CO2 stored in the wood is not released, but instead permanently removed from the atmosphere.
The core element of the new power plant will be supplied and installed by the Tyrolean company Syncraft. The company’s proprietary patented technology is, according to the press release, among the most efficient in the industry.
Guido Stäger, CEO of Schweizer Zucker AG, commented: “The company is firstly seeking to diversify, while we are also keen to ensure that our production processes are more sustainable. From 2022, the wood-fired power plant will contribute to both aims”.