Embedded in the foothills of Vogelsberg, Central Europe’s largest extinct volcanic region, the little town of Laubach lies idyllically situated in a natural park. Within this densely forested landscape, a very special energy pack – an energy forest – is taking shape. On a one hectare trial field, Energieversorgung Offenbach (EVO) has planted 10 000 balsam poplars and willow trees. What makes these timbers special is that they are absolutely energy-charged. They regenerate quickly, and that again and again. Generally speaking, they can be “harvested” every three years at a height of around fifteen feet.

The energy forest comes at the beginning of our value chain, which stretches from producing regenerative raw materials to processing them into wood pellets to generating energy at biomass plants. One trailblazing project planned by EVO is the construction of a new high-performance pellet plant. The existing manufacturing capacity of 20 000 tonnes is due to be supplemented from 2011 with a further
65 000 tonnes to a maximum of 130 000 tonnes of wood pellets a year.

Like EVO, the MVV Energie Group as a whole is increasingly relying on timber as a climatefriendly and environmentally-friendly resource. When it comes to biomass, we have long been the market leader in Germany, can offer in-depth expertise in operating biomass plants and have forged long-term agreements with timber suppliers. Two examples here are our cooperation with the Bavarian State Forestry Commission and our takeover of A+S Naturenergie. With 18 % of the electricity we produce coming from renewable energies, we are already ahead of the national average. We are continually expanding our use of renewable energies to generate electricity and heating energy from biomass and more recently also from biogas. And we intend to make sure our growth in these business fields is just like that at the energy forest – fast and sustainable.