To this end, DRANCO nv constructed a new digester.
"DRANCO stands for a team of people who are motivated to deliver a contribution to improve the environment. It gives us great pleasure that we could do this in our own country by realizing this plant for and with EcoWerf," says Piet Smis, CEO of DRANCO.
Producing your own energy reduces carbon footprint
By building this installation, EcoWerf is not only maximizing its energy yield, it is also creating an energy-positive site. Each year, EcoWerf can produce 12.000 MWh of green heat, equivalent to the annual heat consumption of 500 families.
It also annually generates 11.000 MWh of green of electricity, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 3.000 families. 25% of the produced energy is reused in its own buildings and facilities, while 75% of the energy generated is delivered to the electricity grid.
In addition, EcoWerf continues to produce 20.000 tons of compost to ensure closed-loop recycling in the EcoWerf region. All in all, this results in a CO2 saving of 5.000 tons per year and thus EcoWerf contributes to Flanders' climate objectives.
Besides producing its own energy via this digestion plant, EcoWerf is also tackling the climate challenge within its daily services. EcoWerf is currently reducing its CO2-emissions from road transport by, among other things, transporting waste by water, implementing underground sorting lanes and redesigning its recycling parks.
Especially in these times of energy scarcity, the construction of the digester is a strategic investment with a high sustainability potential.
The DRANCO technology for the anaerobic digestion of the organic fractions from household waste is unique because it has no internal mixing system and allows household waste organics to be 'dry' fermented without additional water addition. In this way, OWS was at the forefront of biogas production from municipal waste worldwide.
OWS also became a world leading company in determining biodegradability and compostability. The waste treatment and biogas production activities have since been spun off into the subsidiary DRANCO nv. DRANCO currently has a staff of about 32.
