Caterpillar helping utility double cogen capabilities

Caterpillar dealer Eneria will design, install and commission a new combined heat and power (CHP) system for Belgium’s Biogaz du Haut-Geer, a utility cooperative, that will double the utility’s cogeneration capabilities.

The system will use two Cat CG170-16 biogas generator sets with integrated CHP technologies to supply an additional 1.5 MW of power and 1.5 MW of heat while providing redundancy. The Cat dealer is also providing components to help process the methane-rich biogas fuel for the systems, which is produced in anaerobic digesters from organic byproducts supplied by more than 30 food processing plants, local farmers and various other public and private partners. Additionally, Eneria will support the operation of the system through ongoing monitoring and maintenance.

Scheduled for commissioning in the second quarter of 2022, the CHP system will provide electricity and thermal energy for local industrial operations. Heat will also be used to optimize the biomethanization process in the digesters, help produce high-quality organic fertilizer, and remove moisture from wood chips that are pressed into briquettes for fuel and marketed under the Flameco brand name.

“The biogas system works 24 hours a day year-round, so efficiency, durability and reliability are essential for maximizing the return on our investment,” said Gaëtan de Seny, managing director of Biogaz du Haut-Geer. “We have chosen field-proven CHP technologies from Caterpillar and Eneria’s expertise to provide a robust solution that will help us maximize the performance and sustainability benefits of our biogas system.”

The new CHP capabilities will supplement an existing system anchored by three Cat CG132-12 generator sets that began producing 1.5 MW of power and 1.5 MW of heat in 2012. The current system produces biogas from 60 000 tons of biodegradable waste annually.

“Biogas energy facilities provide renewable energy in a very efficient way that improves the sustainability profiles of agriculture and food processing operations,” said Sven Buehler, energy system engineer for gas product sales at Caterpillar Inc. “Biogaz du Haut-Geer illustrates how a creative, multi-faceted approach can deliver a full cycle of benefits for local businesses, agriculture operations, residents and the environment.”

Caterpillar announced that Biogaz du Haut-Geer, a utility cooperative in eastern Belgium, has selected Cat® dealer Eneria to double its cogeneration capabilities and expand the sustainability benefits of its biogas energy facility in Geer. (Image: Caterpillar)