One of these self-developed innovative technologies was launched at Verbio in Brandenburg in 2019. It has now also been successfully rolled out in the USA and India. The Verbio team produces biomethane from surplus straw, which is available in the form of BioCNG and BioLNG as a climate-friendly and affordable fuel for cars, but above all for lorries and buses.
Straw is a residual material that is produced in agriculture when the grain is harvested. It is partly used as bedding for livestock. The remainder has so far mainly been chopped and left on the field to form humus. With Verbio technology, this straw can achieve significantly higher added value – for the farmer, for industry and for green mobility. The straw is processed into biomethane in the Verbio plants. The resulting fermentation residue – known as straw humus – is fed back into agriculture as a high-quality fertiliser in a closed-loop process.
Verbio operates two such biorefineries in close proximity to BUTTING Anlagenbau in Schwedt and Pinnow. Here, biomethane and straw humus are produced from straw bales. In this way, Verbio is promoting the regional value chain in agriculture. "We produce the annual fuel requirement for a medium-sized car from just four large bales of straw," says CEO Claus Sauter about the potential of this technology. In addition to biomethane, the international company produces biodiesel, bioethanol, biofertiliser, animal feed and high-quality renewable raw materials for the cosmetics, food and chemical industries. Verbio's straw biomethane technology is unique in the world. Verbio now also operates similar plants in Pinnow near Schwedt as well as in the USA and India.
BUTTING Anlagenbau has been working for Verbio at the Schwedt/Oder site since 2004. Over the years, further German locations have been added where the company operates production sites: Zörbig, Bitterfeld and Pinnow. "It just fits – the chemistry is right. We’ve been working together for almost 20 years now. The processes are routine and, above all, target- and solution-orientated. A partnership of equals," says Olga Bergmann, Project Manager Vessel Construction at BUTTING Anlagenbau in Schwedt.
BUTTING Anlagenbau acts sustainably: "Our vessels, columns and complex pipework, including supports, are made from high-quality, corrosion-resistant and recyclable materials for high-quality chemical processes. It is significant how our products have been put to good use in co-operation with Verbio for almost two decades now. Affordable climate protection is a current challenge for consumers, politicians and industry. If we can successfully master this with the use of agricultural residues such as straw, that seems very (bio-) refined to me," says Marko Busse, Managing Director at BUTTING in Schwedt.
Written by: Ulrike Kurze (Verbio) and Stefanie Wille (BUTTING Anlagenbau)
BUTTING – more than pipes – for a better quality of life