Kompogas
Kompogas is a worldwide registered trademark and a patent-protected process for the anaerobic digestion of organic waste. The principle of this continuous and fully automated process is based on the closed loop recycling management. [1]
The pioneer Walter Schmid invented and realized the company Kompogas. In 1989, after experiments on his own balcony, Walter Schmid realized the first anaerobic digester with 20 cubic meter volume. [2] In 1991 the first full-sized plant was built with initial funding by the canton of Zurich. [3] At this time, it was quite hard to get the needed green waste for his project. He had to lobby with all kind of politicians to get enough organic waste. Also the business journal Handelszeitung wrote that probably rising energy prices will help in the future. [4]
The first plant in Rümlang produced approximately 2,8 Mio. kWh per year. Since 1995 trucks of the Walter Schmid AG and of the company Kompogas drove with biogas. In Switzerland the produced compost or digestate is often available for free for private purpose. These products are also certified for organic cultivation. [5]
Since 2006 Axpo had a minority shareholding of the company Kompogas before 2011 Axpo took over the entire company. In October 2014 the Japanese-Swiss cleantech company Hitachi Zosen Inova AG took over the part of plant engineering and construction. [6] Axpo is still operating 15 Kompogas plants in Switzerland. [7] There are over 80 Kompogas plants in operation worldwide. [8]
The Kompogas process was developed steadily. In the meantime several digester sizes are available.
- ↑ [1] Kompogas scheme
- ↑ [2] Walter Schmid invented Kompogas
- ↑ [3] The story of Kompogas
- ↑ [4] It was hard to get green waste; Handelszeitung 2005
- ↑ [5] Digestate certified for organic cultivation
- ↑ [6] Press release by Hitachi Zosen Inova and Axpo
- ↑ [7] Link to Axpo Kompogas AG
- ↑ [8] Reference list of Kompogas plants