When Reliable Flow Matters

Enerfees is one of France’s most ambitious large scale biogas projects — a cooperative effort where 55 farmers and public private partners have joined forces to turn chicken manure and agricultural waste into renewable energy for the region. Today, the plant produces biomethane equivalent to approximately 90% of Janzé’s gas consumption – enough to supply around 3,300 households with green gas.

The facility processes a wide variety of feedstocks, including pig and cattle slurry, chicken and goat manure, horse manure, dairy by-products, cereal residues, grass cuttings, straw, corn stalks, lucerne, and catch crops. Handling such diverse materials requires a robust and reliable system capable of maintaining a continuous and stable feeding process.

To support this operation, DCB delivered a fully automated PLC-controlled crane solution designed specifically for efficient biomass handling in demanding biogas environments.

Built for Diverse Biomass and Continuous Operation

According to Biogest, one of the key challenges was ensuring a consistent flow of material despite significant variations in feedstock characteristics. With many different biomass types varying in density, structure, and moisture content, maintaining a reliable and continuous feeding process is essential to stable biogas production.

Instead of relying on operators to manage material flow manually, the crane automates the handling process. It regulates where biomass is collected, transported, and delivered, helping to create a consistent feeding pattern while reducing manual work and minimizing interruptions to daily operation.

Proven Reliability Through Partnership

For both Biogest and the plant owner, operational reliability was one of the most important factors when selecting a crane supplier. Continuous production leaves little room for downtime, making reliable equipment, responsive service, and long-term support essential parts of the solution.

The decision to work with DCB was based on previous experience. Following a successful project in France in 2019, Biogest chose to implement another DCB crane solution as part of the Enerfees feedstock handling system.

In daily operation, the crane plays a central role in managing storage areas, blending different biomass types, and feeding material into the solid feed hopper. Its versatility enables efficient handling of both bulk and irregular materials while supporting the plant’s operational targets.

In daily operation, the crane plays a central role in managing storage areas, blending different biomass types, and feeding material into the solid feed hopper. Its versatility enables efficient handling of both bulk and irregular materials, while the automated operation reduces material handling time, improves efficiency, and significantly reduces the need for manual handling.

Supporting Stable Energy Production

Delivered as a complete solution covering engineering, manufacturing, installation, and commissioning, the project demonstrates DCB’s ability to provide reliable crane systems for modern biogas facilities across international markets.

DCB’s solution included a double girder crane with grab, maintenance platform, crane runway and power bars. Designed for biowaste with densities between 600 and 950 kg/m³, it provides a total capacity of 36 m³ per hour, including 8 m³ dedicated to feeding.

Today, the crane supports efficient biomass logistics, stable feeding, and reliable daily operation. For a plant producing renewable gas for thousands of households, maintaining continuous material flow is essential – and at Enerfees, the crane plays a vital role in making that possible.