When we first heard of the Bio Energy Village of Jühnde, about 15km outside Göttingen, we decided that this might provide some interesting volunteer opportunities and be a worthwhile project for Global Footsteps to partner with.
The people at the Center for New Energy are often approached by individuals or organisations who would like a guided tour of the anaerobic digestion plant and woodchip burning facility, as well as information on how the project has been conducted, and details of the way it is currently run. We had little idea whatkind of welcome to expect when we approached the CNE, but they immediately invited us to meet one of the two leading figures in the organisation, Eckhard Fangmeier.
Mr Fangmeier very generously gave us an hour of his time and a free tour of the facility (groups usually have to pay a fee for this). We learned about how the biogas plant is run, using grass silage from various grasses as crop-based raw material, and liquid manure from cattle and sheep to aid the gas generation process. We watched several deliveries of liquid manure from local farmers, who also produce the silage in two successive crops per year.
We were told that Jühnde had been selected from around 25 villages who applied to pioneer the “bio energy village” model in 2001. Since the plant started production in 2005, 70% of homes in the village have been connected to the village heating grid, deriving all their heating requirements from the biogas and woodchip boiler installations (supplemented by an oil-fired boiler catering for around 5% of annual heating demand, if the coldest winter weather requires it). Generated electricity is also fed into the national grid, and attracts a feed-in rebate.
What impressed me most was the extent to which local villagers and farmers have bought into the project. The project leaders have worked hard at keeping the community informed, not only about successes but also about the problems the project has encountered along the way. In this way they have gained trust. They take a long-term view and are very conscious of the financial constraints on farmers.
The people at the Center for New Energy are often approached by individuals or organisations who would like a guided tour of the anaerobic digestion plant and woodchip burning facility, as well as information on how the project has been conducted, and details of the way it is currently run. We had little idea whatkind of welcome to expect when we approached the CNE, but they immediately invited us to meet one of the two leading figures in the organisation, Eckhard Fangmeier.
Mr Fangmeier very generously gave us an hour of his time and a free tour of the facility (groups usually have to pay a fee for this). We learned about how the biogas plant is run, using grass silage from various grasses as crop-based raw material, and liquid manure from cattle and sheep to aid the gas generation process. We watched several deliveries of liquid manure from local farmers, who also produce the silage in two successive crops per year.
We were told that Jühnde had been selected from around 25 villages who applied to pioneer the “bio energy village” model in 2001. Since the plant started production in 2005, 70% of homes in the village have been connected to the village heating grid, deriving all their heating requirements from the biogas and woodchip boiler installations (supplemented by an oil-fired boiler catering for around 5% of annual heating demand, if the coldest winter weather requires it). Generated electricity is also fed into the national grid, and attracts a feed-in rebate.
What impressed me most was the extent to which local villagers and farmers have bought into the project. The project leaders have worked hard at keeping the community informed, not only about successes but also about the problems the project has encountered along the way. In this way they have gained trust. They take a long-term view and are very conscious of the financial constraints on farmers.
Our next step is to agree a volunteer profile for someone to assist CNE with their promotional and marketing activities, especially in the English language. If everything works out, Global Footsteps could be sending one or more volunteers to this project in the summer of 2012.
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