BAUER Resources GmbH

By the time the climate-friendly neighborhood in Frankfurt’s Hilgenfeld district is completed, the team from BAUER Resources GmbH, Schrobenhausen/Germany, with its three drilling rigs will be long gone. It will be almost like they were never even there. “Almost” being the key word. What will remain is an impressive geothermal probe system that was installed on behalf of regional energy supplier Mainova AG (Figure 1). With seven distribution shafts, numerous pipelines and more than 50 m³ of brine, the system is impressive not only because of its scope: This is an exceptional project in many regards.

Over the course of eight months, the three drilling teams from Bauer Resources completed their work on seven geothermal fields for the installation of the geothermal probe system. More than 19,200 m were drilled and a total of 160 geothermal probes from GWE GmbH were installed up to a depth of 120 m. “The grouting work in later stages took a particularly long time, since considerable extra quantities were consumed in some areas. This required precise coordination between the different parties involved in the project,” explains Site Manager Raphael Werner from BAUER Resources, adding: “To ensure optimal quality for the backfill material in the boreholes, we used a specially developed, magnetically marked and thermally improved slurry. After completing the drilling work, we inspected the seal with a magnetic probe to ensure that it was executed properly – this is how we achieve optimal groundwater protection.” The excavation work for the pipe trenches began simultaneously with the drilling work. Then it was time for the most arduous task: The experienced team laid more than 10,000 m of pipeline. Finally, the connections were established and the trenches were backfilled with soil. To fulfil the strict quality requirements, all work steps were painstakingly documented, construction materials were carefully monitored and the lines were regularly subjected to pressure tests. “Thanks to precise execution, we were able to move forward rapidly with the project,” continues the Site Manager.

The project is unusual not only because of its magnitude and the effort involved, but also because of the particular soil. The surface level of the 17.7 ha site is covered with glacial loess loam. This is one of the most valuable soil types in the world. “For this reason, protecting the soil was a top priority. None of the construction vehicles were allowed to drive directly over the grounds. Instead, extra access roads were built and the soil was protected with wood chips and load distribution plates,” explains Werner. The deeper stone strata also posed multiple challenges. On the one hand, the drilling equipment had to be adjusted frequently because of the varying soil strata. Furthermore, flushing losses occurred unexpectedly. “Not an easy undertaking, but ultimately no problem for us. In some cases we flushed the boreholes differently, in some areas we adapted the casings,” remarks experienced Operations Manager Marcel Mößlang of BAUER Resources.

Even after finishing the main work, there are some tasks left for Bauer Resources. Until 2029, the experts will take care of maintenance on the geothermal probe system including flushing, filling and fine-tuning. “In Frankfurt we are offering our full range of services, from design and execution to commissioning and even maintenance.” During the next stage, an innovative climate-friendly district will be constructed on the 17.7 ha site, which will serve as a shining example far beyond Frankfurt and Hessen thanks to the sustainable energy concept for heat and power supply furnished by regional energy supplier Mainova AG. This district, constructed by state residential construction company ABG FRANKFURT HOLDING GmbH, will house a total of 54 apartment buildings, 860 residential units as well as commercial spaces. “We will remember this project for a long time, because a geothermal energy system of this magnitude is rare – this is one of the largest of its kind in all of Germany,” says Mößlang in summary.

Further information:
BAUER Group
www.bauer.de

Carbon is one of the most important building blocks of life. It serves as the basis of all natural materials and forms numerous bonds. When forests die, e. g., CO₂ enters the atmosphere and is bound by plants or rivers somewhere else. As a result, carbon is simply everywhere. And there’s now more of it in the air than the natural cycle is able to neutralize. Carbo-FORCE GmbH has a strategy to counteract this: This startup from the northern German town of Preetz has developed groundbreaking plant for the carbonization of biomass. On 1st January 2023, BAUER Resources GmbH, Schrobenhausen/Germany, acquired 50 % of the company’s shares (Figure 1).

But how does this innovative plant work? The technology is based on the traditional principle of carbonization. This is none other than pyrolysis, in which the biomass, from (scrap) wood and horse manure all the way to fermentation residues or sewage sludge, is heated to very high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. As a result, a large share of the carbon is bound and not entirely emitted into the atmosphere as it would be with incineration. The end product is biochar, which has a variety of possible uses: in agriculture for soil improvement, in livestock farming as feed charcoal, as an insulating material or as activated carbon filter. “Depending on the initial material, 1 t of biochar can bind more than 3 t of CO₂,” explains Kai Alberding, Managing Director and founder of Carbo-FORCE. In this way, the equipment actively produces carbon credits as well as exhaust heat. Hardly any energy is required during operation, just at the start of the combustion process. “Far more energy is generated than consumed – the plant is almost self-sufficient,” summarizes Alberding. Due to their modular design in the form of containers, these durable plant can be individually adapted and positioned in a decentralized manner.

“For a long time now, Bauer Resources has stood for simple technologies combined with decentralized solutions. This is why the groundbreaking carbonization plants from Carbo-FORCE are an ideal addition to our portfolio,” underscores Roman Breuer, Managing Director of BAUER Resources, and adds: “At the same time, we are reinforcing the expansion of our energy division with this step.” For Carbo-FORCE, the collaboration offers considerable added value in other respects: “In Bauer Resources we have found a long-term partner who provides us with the necessary production capacity and a suitable sales network,” says Alber­ding. The equipment will be constructed by a subsidiary of Bauer Resources – SCHACHTBAU NORDHAUSEN GmbH – a specialist in plant engineering with more than 30 years of experience in the field.

As a result, both companies will benefit from the future collaboration as they join forces to address important topics: the reduction of CO₂ emissions and the generation of sustainable energy. (BAUER/Si.)

For three decades, Johann Mesch was at the top of Bauer Umwelt and, since 2010, of BAUER Resources GmbH, Schrobenhausen/Germany. On 1st April 2018, he left his post and since then Peter Hingott (chair) und Roman Breuer have formed the new dual leadership.

The Schwarze Pumpe industrial area in the city of Spremberg in Brandenburg covers a total of 720 ha and includes the former industrial site Spreewitz in the neighboring Free State of Saxony. Today, around 80 companies with some 4,250 employees are located in the area where lignite has been refined into briquettes, coke and city gas and converted into electricity in a power station since the mid-1950s. The gas combination plant Schwarze Pumpe, which was turned into the company Energiewerke Schwarze Pumpe AG in 1990, was one of the key pillars of the GDR’s energy industry. On the former grounds of the plant, various hazardous materials have however made their way into the soil over the decades, principally through the process of refining lignite. In addition to benzene, an amount of monoaromatic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene) as well as polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAH) and hydrocarbons (HC) can be found. The soil contamination, which is extremely high in part, still acts as a source of groundwater pollution.

To remove this contamination, Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (LMBV), Senftenberg/Germany, recently commissioned BAUER Resources GmbH, Schrobenhausen/Germany, with its Bauer Umwelt business unit and the company Lobbe Industrieservice GmbH & Co KG, Duisburg/Germany, as JV partner to build and operate a vacuum treatment plant as well as replace or decontaminate the soil as necessary (Figure 1). All of the specialist foundation engineering and soil exchange measures will be executed by BAUER Resources GmbH and BAUER Spezialtiefbau GmbH. The work starts in November this year and should be completed by 2022.

As well as demolishing the existing superstructure on an area totaling around 25,000 m², Bauer will also produce six primary sheet pile walls with an overall length of 1,340 m and depth of up to 20 m as well as 147 sheet pile boxes (11.4 x 9.7 m) with a depth of up to 15 m. Every one of the six sections will be immured by a back-anchored primary sheet pile wall. Then, the entire section will be excavated 4.5 m below ground level. Following that, a working platform will be created from where the sheet pile boxes will be inserted. These will form the secondary sheet pile wall and will be secured with a reinforcement brace.

A telescopic excavator will be used to replace a total of over 281,500 t of contaminated soil down to 14 m below ground level. Because the contaminant benzene is an extremely volatile medium, the excavation will be carried out with continuous air extraction and purification. The contaminated groundwater, which to some extent is a mixture of oil and water, levels out in the sheet pile boxes and can be siphoned off during the excavation. The contaminated soil is taken to the treatment plant built and run by Lobbe and returned after it has been treated. As well as a BAUER BG 20 H drilling rig, an RG 22 and RG 16 from RTG Rammtechnik GmbH and a KR 806 anchor drilling rig from KLEMM Bohrtechnik GmbH will also be used among other equipment.

With over 25 years of experience, BAUER Resources GmbH’s Bauer Umwelt business unit is one of the leading specialists in site remediation, both in the domestic market and internationally. An expert in pollution reduction, the business unit offers a diverse range of services for all environmental issues within German-speaking Europe and neighboring countries. Organized by region, BAUER Resources GmbH concentrates on projects across the entire world together with its subsidiaries and has extensive skills in the fields of water treatment, automation, environmental remediation and waste management, drilling technologies as well as well-drilling and reed-bed treatment plants.

Further information/Weitere Informationen:
BAUER AG
www.bauer.de