Green energy in Wahlstedt: new reverse power plant for HanseWerk Natur

HanseWerk Natur, known as a regional heating supplier and energy service provider in Northern Germany, inaugurated a new reverse power plant in Wahlstedt, Schleswig Holstein, at the end of May 2024. With this flagship project, the company increases the share of regional renewable energy in the district heating network and takes another step towards decarbonizing its electricity and heat generation. We are very happy to welcome HanseWerk Natur as a new operator in the club of reverse power plants!

In December 2022, the construction phase of the reverse power plant began wherease the test operation started in March 2024. The CW1800x2-1000 plant, which was built by SYNCRAFT, has a total output of 1,000 kW of electrical energy and 1,410 kW of thermal energy. It is equipped with four drying bunkers, a moving floor bunker and the building sections for the wood gas production plant and the combined heat and power plant. Adapted to the heat requirements, the power plant generates around 6 million kWh of electricity and more than 7 million kWh of heat per year. The climate-neutral electricity, which corresponds to the annual consumption of around 1,500 four-person households, is fed into the supply system. The process heat is fed into the district heating network via a system. This means that almost 20 percent of Wahlstedt's heat is generated by the reverse power plant.

As a raw material, HanseWerk Natur relies exclusively on forest residues from sustainable forestry which can´t be used for material purposes. Regionality plays an important role: the forest residues come from a radius of max. 200 kilometers around Wahlstedt. Around 800 tons of high-quality biochar are produced every year during this process. The biochar permanently stores CO₂ and is used as additive in building materials, polymeres and feedstuff.

Pictured from left to right: Thomas Besendörfer (SYNCRAFT Technical Sales), Matthias-Christian Bonse (Mayor of Wahlstedt), Dr. Nikolaus Meyer (CEO, HanseWerk Natur), Sebastian Egger (SYNCRAFT Project Manager) und Benedikt Bodner (SYNCRAFT Operations Manager) at the opening ceremony.