Background about Biomass CHP Plant Güssing

Güssing is a small town with about 4.000 inhabitants and is located about 200 km south of Vienna near to the Hungarian border. The region was very poor until biomass as source of energy was discovered. 40 % of the region of Güssing is covered with wood. Therefore sufficient raw material is available for the energy supply of the whole city.

In 2002, a steam biomass gasification process has been demonstrated in Güssing, Austria. The combined heat and power (CHP) plant has a fuel capacity of 8 MW and an electrical output of about 2 MWel with an electrical efficiency of about 25 %. Wood chips with a water content of 20 - 30 % are used as fuel. The plant consists of a dual fluidized bed steam gasifier, a two stage gas cleaning system, a gas engine with an electricity generator, and a heat utilization system.

Source: Biomass CHP Plant Güssing – A Success Story