Stadtwerke Bad Säckingen (GER)

"With the three new Type 4 Jenbacher units from INNIO, we’re not only tripling the output of our Heizwerk Süd heating plant but also are rigorously implementing the requirements of the Renewable Energy Law and the heating transition. Although we’re still running our combined heat and power plant on biomethane at the moment, we’ll also be able to use green hydrogen in the future."

Heiko Strittmatter, Head of Heat Supply and Power Generation, Stadtwerke Bad Säckingen

Background

Stadtwerke Bad Säckingen is a municipal utility company that combines over 130 years’ experience with an innovative and progressive mindset. It wants to make Bad Säckingen a shining example of an environmentally sustainable town that is diverse in its innovation and a wonderful place to live. Based on the special responsibility it has toward the town‘s residents and the environment, as well as the economic strength of the surrounding area, Stadtwerke Bad Säckingen is committed to generating energy sustainably, reducing CO₂
emissions, and expanding a safe and advanced supply network for power, natural gas, drinking water, and heat. 

A pioneering solution

The original Jenbacher CHP plant in the Heizwerk Süd heating plant comprised one J312 and one J416 and was operated purely on a heat-driven basis to align with the heat demand in the district heating network. Stadtwerke Bad Säckingen’s decision to expand came at just the right time to install the new J420 E technology. Adding the three Jenbacher units – an additional J416 and two latest generation J420 E engines – has increased total output to 6.2 MW of thermal and 5.7 MW of electrical energy. A large buffer storage system with a capacity of 264,172 gallons (35,314 ft3) has been constructed, allowing the system to be operated on a power-driven basis now too. This means that the individual CHP system modules are turned on and off depending on the power demand in the public grid and the feed-in of solar and wind-generated power, thus ensuring power supply even during the “dark doldrums.” 

Outcome

Adding the three Type 4 Jenbacher CHP systems increased the output of the Heizwerk Süd heating plant by a factor of three, meaning that more than 4,000 households can now be supplied with electricity and a further 1,000 with heat. According to Stadtwerke Bad Säckingen, using the biomethane-powered Jenbacher CHP systems to generate both power and heat saves some 3,600 metric tons of CO₂ emissions compared to conventional heat generation using fuel oil. The electricity produced is fed into the public grid, while the thermal energy given off in the process is transported via the existing district heating network to the homes and public facilities connected to it.

 

"I am convinced that the J420 next-generation engine will quickly establish itself, setting a new benchmark for economics and resource conservation. Running in CHP mode, it excels in energy efficiency—a key driver in the energy transformation."

Heiko Strittmatter, Head of Heat Supply and Power Generation, Stadtwerke Bad Säckingen

Customer benefits of the new Jenbacher J420 E 

•  Up to a 1% increase in efficiency 
• Nearly 60 cm shorter 
• Can be converted to run on hydrogen 
• Easier to maintain