Clean energy producer SynCraft has ordered two INNIO Jenbacher J412 gas engines for its wood gas power plants in Upper Austria.

The units, each with an electrical output of 500kW, will process a total of 6,000 metric tons of residual wood from the wood industry into 7,000,000 kWh of renewable power and 10,000,000 kWh of heat. The two power plants will generate a total 7,000 metric tons of CO2 savings annually.

These plants achieve a fuel utilisation rate of up to 92%, and in contrast to conventional plants, they produce high quality biochar, rather than ash.

The use of biomass for decentralized power and heat generation is increasingly important for decarbonisation. Biomass is viewed as an optimal form of renewable energy as regrowing raw materials such as wood is a constant reoccurance. Futhermore, wood gas has a hydrogen content of around 40%.

“SynCraft is dedicated to exploiting synergies. INNIO Jenbacher is an excellent partner to raise awareness around the world of the enormous potential of biomass for power generation and cooperating to build innovative and highly efficient wood gas power plants,” says Marcel Huber, SynCraft founder and CEO.

“We will continue to use our synergies and expand our collaboration, jointly driving the energy transition by efficiently exploiting the renewable energy source wood in the form of wood gas ,” explains Carlos Lange, president and CEO of INNIO.

INNIO Jenbacher and SynCraft have collaborated for many years with Jenbacher gas engines operating in SynCraft wood gas power plants operating in Austria, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Switzerland, and Japan.

The two companies collaborate closely to develop their products in terms of output, efficiency, and lifecycle costs, while simultaneously working to optimise the overall cost effectiveness of the wood gas power plant.

SynCraft and INNIO Jenbacher are currently in the final phase of installing, what they refer to as one of the world’s largest gas engine-powered wood gas power plants, with an electrical output of 4MW, in Frauenfeld, Switzerland. Future plans call for 25,000 metric tons of residual, storm-damaged or infested wood to be used to generate energy at the facility, supplying the city of Frauenfeld and a local sugar factory with environmentally friendly and sustainable power and heating.