On 31 October 2018, the Sino-German Strategic Alliance for Advanced Biomethane Technology Project (“the STA Project” hereafter) was officially launched at its kick-off workshop in Hangzhou. With the aim of introducing the project and the project overall objective to China’s biomethane sector, the kick-off event attracted over 30 participants from government, private sector and academia both in China and Germany.
Commissioned by German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ) and in close cooperation with Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MoARA) of PR China, GIZ will implement the STA project jointly with GICON Grossmann Ingenieur Consult GmbH, Evonik Specialty Chemicals Co., Ltd., and Binder Engineering GmbH. Within its implementation period until May 2021, the project will provide technical and systematical supports for efficient application of biomethane. Five main project outcomes are expected, including the construction of a new pilot biomethane plant based on German BAT & BEP, installation and test a national modern monitoring system to check the efficiency of biomethane plants, support on policy recommendations & standards for MoRAR, dissemination of project findings and experience through capacity building activities as well as establishment of a strategic alliance for German and Chinese biomethane sector for further exchange and cooperation.
During the workshop, the project partners GIZ, GICON, Evonik, Binder and Hope Mengneng (plant owner) jointly signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This marked the official start of the construction phase of the polit biomethane plant in Horqin Youyiqian county, Inner Mongolia. The design capacity of the pilot plant expects over 10,000 m3 biomethane production capacity per day with less than 1% methane loss and more than 8000 operation hours annually.
Beside the overall project introduction, the workshop also provided the opportunity for in-depth discussions among partners of the strategic alliance. During the event, Mr. LI Huibin, Division Director of Renewable Energy, Rural Energy & Environment Agency (REEA), introduced the current situation of biogas sector in China. Due to the constantly increasing need on clean energy and the efficient waste recovery in rural areas, Mr. QIAN Mingyu, STA Project Director from GIZ, stressed the background and the significance of the Sino-German cooperation project. Mr. JIA Lixin, Vice Director of Rural Energy & Environment Agency from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region also conveyed the message of embracing the transitional change in China’s biogas sector to be brought by the project. Managers and engineers from GICON, Evonik, Binder and EPC company followed to present their respective contributions to the Project. Furthermore, experts from Deutsches Biomassforschungszentrum (DBFZ), China Academy of Agricultural Engineering and Design (CAAE) of MoRAR, China Agriculture University and Hefei University shared their latest researches on biogas and waste treatment solutions in both countries and proposed worthwhile suggestions to the upcoming construction of pilot plant in Horqin Youyiqian county.
The kick-off workshop came to the end in a heated discussion, the future of China’s biogas sector with more advanced technology and increased operation efficiency, however, has just started! Together, we looked forward to a clean future in China’s rural areas by applying more biomethane technologies. The Sino-German Strategic Alliance for Advanced Biomethane Technology Project also welcomes interested stakeholders to join the exchange platform and to establish an even wider “Strategic Alliance” of biogas sector.
For more information of the project/joining future project activities, please contact Ms. Hou Jingyue (Jingyue.hou@giz.de).
