Successful CHP conference in Wittenberg

On May 19 and 20, S&L organized a CHP conference in Lutherstadt Wittenberg under the motto "FIT 4 44". Over two days the approx. 70 participants were informed by 11 speakers about topics around the 44th BImSchV (hence the motto).

From 1.1.2025, new emission limits for NOX and THC will apply. Even though there is still a transitional period until 1.1.2029 for NOX in existing plants, this means that there is a need for action for CHP owners and planners. What exactly must be observed from 2025 or 2029 and how can the new emission limits be safely complied with? Are there alternatives to reducing emissions by means of an SCR system? What do the new limits for THC (methane slip) mean? These were the questions that the participants, most of them from the municipal utility sector, wanted to get to the bottom of.

In addition to interesting reports on the experiences of plant operators, there were presentations on this complex topic by plant constructors, catalyst manufacturers and Anja Nowack from the Federal Environment Agency. Heinz Ullrich Brosziewski, Vice President of the B.KWK, spoke about energy policy issues concerning the future of cogeneration, which provided additional interesting topics for discussion at the evening event.

S&L Energie-Projekte GmbH and the co-hosts from Stadtwerke Lutherstadt Wittenberg gave a presentation on the alternative Lambda-1 CHP, which achieves very high overall efficiencies and can easily meet or even significantly undercut the new emission limits without complex plant design. In particular, this prevents hundreds of tons of emissions of methane, which is particularly harmful to the climate. The fact that this also works in practice was demonstrated by Stadtwerke Lutherstadt Wittenberg on the second day of the event, when the participants had the opportunity to visit what is probably the largest Lambda-1 CHP plant in Germany with 4 x 1.5 MWe.

The participants were thoroughly impressed by a successful event with many interesting discussions also outside the lectures as well as by a special CHP plant, which has brought economic advantages to the Stadtwerke for more than 3 years and a relief of approx. 4,000 t of CO2 equivalent annually to the environment compared to a lean burn CHP plant of this size.