Biomethane production in Vysoké Mýto awaits state support
Energy financial group (EFG) has postponed the launch of biomethane production at the biogas plant in Vysoké Mýto. The company leases the facility from the municipality and plans to feed the gas it produces, after upgrading, into the gas grid. The company is awaiting state support, EFG spokesman Filip Dvořák told the Czech News Agency (ČTK).
Vysoké Mýto built the biogas plant for 71 million crowns with the help of an EU subsidy. It was intended to process biological waste from the town and nearby companies, as well as sewage sludge from the adjacent municipal wastewater treatment plant. The facility burned biogas in a combined heat and power unit to generate electricity, which the town sold to the public grid; its installed electrical capacity was 320 kilowatts. However, the plant operated at a loss, lacked sufficient feedstock and required annual subsidies of one to two million crowns. Under the terms of the subsidy, the town hall had to keep it running for five years, after which it shut it down in autumn 2013. It later sought a new owner or operator for the facility.
EFG has a valid building permit to resume operations. "However, it was decided at management level that this biogas plant would be entered into the new state auction support scheme for biomethane production. To meet the auction conditions, work to restore the plant's operations had to be delayed. If the auction is successful, we could start injecting biomethane into the distribution network next year," Dvořák said.
The company upgraded the plant before restarting operations. It entered the auction with an improved biomethane production unit capable of processing 300 cubic metres of gas per hour.
The facility will process biodegradable waste collected from the surrounding area, rather than purpose-grown crops. In the future, the company also plans to provide power balancing services, which are important for the stability of the electricity grid. They balance deviations between generation and consumption in real time and help prevent outages and other grid problems.
Other companies in the region are already producing biomethane, which serves as a substitute for natural gas, or are preparing to do so. In 2022, one of the Czech Republic's first biomethane plants began operating in Litomyšl in the Svitavy district. Investment costs amounted to 50 million crowns, according to the Litomyšl Agricultural Cooperative of Livestock Breeders and Growers. Agricultural company AG Maiwald also planned another biomethane plant at its site in Benátky near Litomyšl, as did Farma Opatov in the Svitavy district, where a biogas plant began operating in 2011.
In May, the Ministry of Industry and Trade announced the first auction for operating support for biomethane, with the results not yet known. It applies to plants that will be commissioned by the end of 2029 at the latest. The scheme is intended to contribute to the transition to an emissions-free economy. Sustainable biomethane can be used in transport, heating and industry. Older biogas plants are also switching to biomethane production because the state guarantees the so-called green bonus, which provides a premium for the purchase price of electricity from their output, for 20 years of operation.
