Company Erbenschwanger Verwertungs- und Abfallentsorgungsgesellschaft mbH (EVA) will upgrade its existing mechanical-biological waste treatment system with a fermentation unit that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 77%. To enable energy-independent operation, the process of waste water fermentation is being used in mixed residual municipal waste for the first time ever, harnessing the energy content of organic waste components.

The existing state-of-the-art system for residual waste (capacity of 40,000 t waste per year) and a landfill follow a classical composting approach. But this form of waste treatment requires a great amount of energy. With the subsidy project , the generated biogas could be transformed into around 7,000 MWh of energy each year. As a result, the demand for external energy will be reduced by 80% for line current, 10% for natural gas and 100% for heating oil. Furthermore, 800 MWh of power will be fed into the grid each year.