Breaking ground into the bioenergy future

The Danish Minister of the Environment cut the first sod for Billund Biorefinery, marking the construction phase of the internationally acclaimed bioenergy project, which converts waste and wastewater into value.

Under expert guidance from the Mayor of Billund Municipality Ib Kristensen, the Danish Minister of the Environment Kirsten Brosbøl broke ground with a mini digger to mark the construction of Billund Biorefinery, also called the ‘Wastewater Treatment Plant of the Future’.

“Billund Biorefinery charts the course for world-class environmental technologies in Denmark. It is a project such as this, which reverberates across borders and benefits the environment, exports and future job creation”, said the Minister of the Environment Kirsten Brosbøl.

The ‘Wastewater Treatment Plant of the Future’ has become a reality through close cooperation between environmental group Krüger and the municipally-owned utility company Billund Vand. It is a pilot project with a new and unique technology that combines wastewater treatment with biogasification of organic waste very efficiently. In fact, three times more energy is produced than required for the treatment plant operation.

The project has already this year been awarded international prizes, among others the Global Water Award and one of the European Business Awards for the Environment 2014.

”Our EXELYS-technology is the secret behind the exceptional energy production, and other Krüger-technologies enable us to reach new heights in the utilisation of resources. It will be a unique reference project which we look very much forward to showing our clients in Denmark and abroad,” says Leif Bentsen, Vice President of Krüger.

Billund BioRefinery has a total budget of nearly EUR 3.4 million (DKK 70 mill.) and is constructed with financial support from the Ministry of the Environment and the Foundation for Development of Technology in the Danish Water Sector (VTU-fonden). The plant builds on solid experience, among other things, from sorting-at-the-source and bio gasification of organic waste, from which Billund Municipality has had great success.

”Waste and wastewater are resources. This has been the basic policy in Billund Vand for many years, and it attracts great interest from Danish and international specialists. Now we take it one step further and gain new experience, which we look forward to communicating to our business colleagues,” says Ole P. Johnsen, Managing Director of Billund Vand.

Source: State of Green