From straw to electricity: What Rumpelstiltskin has to do with the biogas plant

Bioextrusion by LEHMANN-UMT - our extruder makes any substrate recipe a success!

Global energy consumption has increased dramatically over the last 100 years - by a factor of around twenty. Fossil fuels are finite, which makes it all the more important to drive forward the energy transition. LEHMANN-UMT's patented bioextruder makes it possible to successfully use agricultural waste and residues in biogas plants worldwide and increase the gas yield by up to 20 %. Two counter-rotating screws, which are specially adapted to the biomass, partially defiber the source materials down to the cell structure, which in turn reduces the formation of floating layers and at the same time saves stirring energy. But it gets even better: with the help of the extruder, corn, wheat and rice straw, for example, can be used for biogas production. Even Rumpelstiltskin would be proud.

The extruder is taking Europe by storm

The biogas market in Europe is developing rapidly. Ten biogas plants in England are currently being planned or are already under construction with extruders from LEHMANN-UMT. The first of these was recently put into operation, using two 110 kW extruders. They are used to process wheat straw or a mixture of straw and liquid manure for the biogas plant.

In France, for example, between five and six tons of maize silage and maize spindles per hour are currently processed with the 110 kW extruder and then used in the biogas plant. In this project, LEHMANN is also responsible for transferring the material from the extruder to a hopper pump. This optimizes customer processes and ensures maximum safety. In another project, six 74 kW extruders are in use, the seventh of which is currently leaving the LEHMANN-UMT yard.

In Serbia, different types of straw and various straw-manure mixtures are currently being extruded and processed for the biogas plant. The extruder enables the flexible processing of different materials as well as uncomplicated mixing and blending. The extrusion process ensures that the substrates remain in the fermenter for a shorter period of time and increases the gas yield. The result of years of research and development work: THE optimum solution for straw in the biogas plant with the best degree of digestion - Bioextrusion by LEHMANN.

Extruder, rice straw and India

In India, thanks to the extruder, rice straw is no longer burned in the fields as a waste product, but can now be used to produce biogas. The extruder is the only system that makes it possible to fiberize such challenging materials with the best energy balance. This significantly improves the CO2 footprint and protects the environment.

There is currently a large project with around 30 110 kW extruders, which are used in various biogas plants to process rice straw. LEHMANN-UMT offers its customers comprehensive on-site training to prepare their employees to carry out maintenance and service work independently. The LEHMANN service team is always available to answer questions and is happy to be on site for commissioning or maintenance work, even in India.

The extruder is not only integrated as an individual system into existing plant concepts, LEHMANN-UMT also supplies the necessary dosing, mixing and feeding technology as well as special impurity detection systems. The fully comprehensive complete system mirrors almost the entire process and ensures optimum output rates.

Extrudierte und unextrudierte Holzhackschnitzel

Peat substitute with wood fibers from the extruder

The extraction of peat releases unimaginable amounts of CO², damaging the climate and destroying the habitat of many animals and plants. Extruded wood fibers are THE solution - they serve as a substitute for peat in garden soils and thus contribute to sustainability. LEHMANN-UMT developed the new 180 kW extruder for the production of the required wood fibers. Its specially designed screws enable the fiberization of various materials, such as wood chips, forest residues, leaves or sheep's wool, with consistently high output material quality. More and more soil plants in Europe are relying on LEHMANN-UMT's proven and durable extruder technology. However, the wood fibers are not only used as a substitute for peat, they are also used in the production of bioplastics as an alternative to plastic as well as in insulation boards and construction elements.

Vollumfaenglicher Service der LEHMANN UMT v2

80 years of environmental technology - 80 years of LEHMANN

LEHMANN-UMT provides support with experience and expertise in individual project planning and tailor-made implementation - from design, production and assembly to on-site commissioning, the company offers a comprehensive range of services. In 2025, the mechanical engineering company from Vogtland in Saxony will be celebrating its 80th anniversary. Extensive expertise coupled with continuous research and development work are the plant manufacturer's recipe for success.