Montenegrin winery Plantaže switches to biomass to produce energy

Regional energy services company GGE will provide support to Montenegrin winery Plantaže AD, the largest winery in the Balkans,  to reduce its energy costs and improve its environmental footprint.

Plantaže AD and regional ESCO company GGE , have signed a contract for the installation of a new biomass steam boiler to use wine cuts as new biomass fuel. GGE’s team of engineers has proposed to Plantaže to start utilizing vine cuts since it is locally available, free-of-charge in addition to its low moisture content and high calorific value.

GGE, the company that has succeeded in positioning itself  region wide with its innovative energy solutions, has proposed to its client to improve energy efficiency as well as its environmental footprint by installing new biomass steam boiler of 2MW capacity, 3t/h, with a partially new steam line and an entirely new condensate return system.

This investment will provide Plantaže with EUR 200,000 savings each year during the five-year contract with GGE, after which it will benefit from even higher savings.

GGE has recently announced that it is soon to begin with the works in Plantaže, one of its key projects in Montenegro, pointing out that during the installation phase, winery’s production will continue unimpeded.

“By implementing the latest technology solution for biomass as an energy source, together we will achieve important savings. We will also reduce the dependence of both the company and Montenegro  on expensive imported fuels, as well as the cost of production, and certainly improve impact on the environment and the overall environmental image of Montenegro,” the Managing Director of GGE Montenegro Siniša Janjušević said.

He said that GGE team of engineers, based on the considerable experience in the field of biomass, has proposed to Plantaže to utilize great energy potential of wine cuts and to achieve considerable savings.

Janjušević pointed out that vine cuts are very specific type of fuel and that they can be efficiently utilized only after thorough preparation process. In order to overcome this specifics, Plantaže  has proceeded with procuring  a shredder machine which will prepare vine cuts for the transport system of the biomass boiler.

Prior to this energy system upgrade, Plantaže  has been using an old heavy oil steam boiler, and due to its high production of wine and other spirits, its energy costs have been very high.

In addition to the environmental impact, Plantaže has had significant costs for operation, maintenance, cleaning of the boiler, as well as losses on steam pipelines.