Potato starch manufacturer AVEBE receives funding to upgrade biogas project

Dutch Potato Starch manufacturer AVEBE is receiving a subsidy of three million euros to upgrade the biogas project in Gasselternijveen.

With current production levels it will ultimately be possible to produce 18 million cubic metres of gas, enough to supply 11,000 homes with heating.

Member of the Provincial Executive Tanja Klip-Martin and finance director Ed Kraaijenzank of AVEBE today signed this so called "Drenthe Green Deal".

This Green Deal with AVEBE is the first to be signed and forms part of a broader partnership between the Province of Drenthe and potato starch company AVEBE in the area of sustainability. The national government has introduced Green Deals with the aim of taking concrete steps towards a more sustainable economy.

AVEBE produces starch and premium quality proteins from potatoes. The digestion of the potato juice released during this process produces biogas and a mineral-rich substance that lends itself very well to use as a fertiliser. This new process step will replace energy-intensive upgrading. This will save 32 tons of CO2, which is the amount of CO2 emitted on average by 18,000 cars a year in the Netherlands[2]. The biogas production is being scaled up with the 3 million provided by the Province. This will call for a high level of technical expertise.

According to Ed Kraaijenzank, the production of biogas fits in perfectly with AVEBE’s sustainability targets. “It is important to be economical with raw materials and energy. We do that by adding more and more value to the potato. Digestion is a subsequent step that produces biogas, limits our CO2 emission and substantially lowers our energy bill. Producing energy from waste calls for a substantial investment but ultimately everybody gains,” says the finance director.

The digestion activities are a good fit for the Province’s vision of the development of energy transition centres in the North. Member of the Provincial Executive Tanja Klip regards Gasselternijveen, alongside Wijster, as being a potential second energy transition centre in Drenthe. “Making use of remnant substances and extremely low-energy production technologies fits in well with the change we need to make. That is why we are proud of what AVEBE is setting out to achieve here. We hope that it will lead to other initiatives being taken”, she explains.

The Province of Drenthe is supporting AVEBE’s ambitions with administrative efforts, fast permit issuing and making connections with other projects and funds. The Province is also starting a study into the development of earning models based on biogas production in Gasselternijveen for arable farmers in the area.The Province is also working on the development of the E-lecture as part of the Energy Academy aimed at guaranteeing sufficiently qualified employees in the sustainable energy sector.

Source: Avebe News