Biomethane production at a fermentation plant in Czechia's Vysoké Mýto is delayed

Biomethane production at the fermentation plant in Vysoké Mýto is delayed. Last year, the town leased the facility, which had been shut down for years, to Energy financial group (EFG), which planned to start supplying the gas to the gas network after purification from the middle of this year. However, the start of operations has been delayed by the reconnection to the electricity distribution grid, Mayor František Jiraský (Independents) told CTK.

„It turned out that the problem was reconnecting to the ČEZ Distribuce grid, which we disconnected years ago after operations ended, and some parts were dismantled. In the end, however, the company agreed to reconnect it, and we also approved an easement for this,“ Jiraský said.

Vysoké Mýto built the biogas plant for 71 million crowns with the help of an EU grant. It was intended to process biological waste from the town and nearby companies, as well as sewage sludge from the neighbouring municipal wastewater treatment plant. The facility burned biogas in a cogeneration unit to generate electricity, which the town sold to the public grid; its installed electrical capacity was 320 kilowatts. However, the plant was loss-making, lacked sufficient feedstock and required an annual subsidy of one to two million crowns. Under the terms of the grant, the town council had to keep it operating for five years, after which it shut it down in autumn 2013.

EFG has leased the fermentation plant for 25 years. The town will receive annual rent of 1.2 million crowns, adjusted for annual inflation. The company plans to invest 50 to 75 million crowns in its renovation and modernisation. The project includes increasing waste-processing capacity, producing biomethane, and generating electricity and heat. The company focuses on using biodegradable waste rather than crops grown specifically for this purpose. In the future, the plant could also process food waste from the town. A high-pressure gas pipeline runs near the plant and could be connected to.

EFG recently launched the largest biomethane production facility in South Moravia at the Vyškov biogas plant, according to its website. It processes 30,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste a year. As a result, its biogas production capacity has increased from 160 to 650 cubic metres per hour.

An upgraded biogas plant began operating in 2022 in nearby Litomyšl. It is run by the local Agricultural Cooperative of Livestock Breeders and Growers. The facility generates electricity and purifies the biogas it produces into biomethane. It injects the gas into the gas distribution network and supplies a new natural gas filling station. Its annual capacity is three million cubic metres of biomethane.