BioTown, USA Exchange Mission to Germany's BioVillage Blog by Indiana Agriculture Director Andy Miller
Introduction
Representatives from Indiana’s BioTown, USA traveled to Germany from September 17-22, 2007, to meet with residents of Bioenergy Village. Juehnde is Bioenergy Village, the German version of Indiana’s very own BioTown, USA in Reynolds. With nearly 750 residents, Juehnde is the first village in Germany to produce its complete heat and electricity supply from bioenergy.
Governor Mitch Daniels founded the BioTown, USA project, and it was due to the Governor’s May European Trade Mission that state officials were first able to tour Bioenergy Village. They found the similarities to Indiana’s BioTown project profound.
The exchange mission was made possible through a joint U.S. Agriculture Department and U.S. State Department grant. The nine-member delegation began their mission in Berlin with a day of orientation meetings, including a U.S. Embassy briefing and meetings with the U.S. Ambassador to Germany William R. Timken, the German Ministry of Energy and Agriculture, the German Bioenergy and Biofuel Industry Association and the National German Farmers’ Union. The following day, the delegation traveled to Juehnde for two days of meetings and tours with Juehnde leaders, county officials, representatives from Goettingen University and town residents.
Members of the BioTown/Bioenergy Village Exchange Mission include Indiana Agriculture Director Andy Miller, Miller; Brandon Seitz, Energy Division Manager for the Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development; Lesley Taulman, International Trade Program Manager with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture; John Heimlich, White County Commissioner and Reynolds resident; Connie Neininger, White County Economic Development; Tom Westfall, Honey Creek Township Trustee; Dr. Klein Ileleji, Assistant Professor Agriculture and Biological Engineering at Purdue University; and Jim Adams and Doug Tischbein with ESG Energy Systems Group, a partner in the BioTown project.
Friday, September 21, 2007
We began our last day in Germany at the Bioenergy Village visitor center for a presentation from Hartmut Berndt, manager of the regional development organization in the county of Goettingen. He explained that they are currently awaiting feasibility study results for nine bioenergy projects involving seven villages. The county is attempting to create a bioenergy region, with multiple bioenergy projects.
I then presented an in-depth look at the BioTown, USA concept and progress. After both presentations we had a discussion session in which each delegation offered suggestions to the other. We ended our meetings at a neighboring town called Barlissen, where we heard from town representatives about their town’s bioenergy project plan. We also took the time to pause and celebrate Tom Westfall’s birthday with some traditional German cake and coffee.
In concluding our mission to Germany, leaders of Bioenergy Village expressed how similar the BioTown, USA and the Bioenergy Village. They also saw Americans in a new light, and that we are making great efforts to promote conservation and renewable energy use. They look forward to continuing interaction and conversations with Reynolds and hope to offer advice and suggestions. We invited a delegation from the Bioenergy Village to visit Reynolds in the fall of 2008, and we look forward to showing them the same level of hospitality that we received.
We believe the meetings were an enormous success, with great interaction between our group and the German group. There are bright possibilities for partnership between the two towns, Purdue University and Goettingen University and in economic development.
We ended our day by returning to Berlin and having dinner in KaDeWe, one of Germany’s oldest and largest department stores. We look forward to returning to Indiana on Saturday and sharing our experiences with those in Indiana and around the country. We also look forward to continuing our new relationships with those in Bioenergy Village – our new friends and partners in the future of bioenergy.
Hartmut Berndt, the Manager of the Regional Development Organization of the County of Goettingen described the continuing progress in bioenergy development at the county level as they seek to be a bioenergy region. They are currently waiting results of feasibility studies of 9 bioenergy projects involving 7 villages in the county of Goettingen. He also discussed the European Union’s Leader+ program that fosters regional development from the ground up, focusing on rural areas. One of the principal strategies of this program involves renewable energy development.
Bioenergy Village anaerobic digestors
The group enjoyed a traditional German lunch at a restaurant in a neighboring town where they met regional development officers from the Juehnde and Goettingen area to discuss regional bioenergy efforts. At the close of the farewell lunch, closing comments and summary statements were given by Andy Miller, John Heimlich, the two directorate members of the Bioenergy Village in Juehnde (Eckhard Fangmeier and Reinhard von Werder), and the Mayor of Juehnde, Dietmar Bode, and President of the Juehnde Bioenergy Village Board August Brandenburg.
The area has plans to create a bioenergy region. Two representatives from the town of Barlissen discussed plans for a Bioenergy project in their village.
Pictured L to R: Tom Westfall, Andy Miller, Brandon Seitz, Dietmar Bode, Sabine Lieberz, Thomas Galla, John Heimlich, and Connie Neininger.
Upon return to Berlin, the delegation had dinner at the top floor deli and restaurant section of the KaDeWe department store. KaDeWe is one of the oldest and best known department stores in Germany. They are celebrating their 100th anniversary and continue to be the place for Berliners to see and be seen for Saturday lunches.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Our plan for today included a scenic train ride from Berlin to Goettingen, meetings with Goettingen University faculty involved in the Bioenergy Village development and then traveling to Juehnde to see the Bioenergy Village and meet the BioVillage leaders and residents.
At the University of Goettingen, we were welcomed by university leaders and then heard a presentation by Dr. Volker Ruwisch on the Bioenergy Village concept and development. The university is able to conduct research and analysis at Bioenergy Village and has been integral in the development.
Following this meeting, the group proceeded to Juehnde, where we were met by the Mayor of Juehnde, Dietmar Bode; the Chairman of the Bioenergy Board, August Brandenburg; Bioenergy Directorate Member, Reinhard von Werder; and other Bioenergy Village Board Members and town leaders. We exchanged greetings and heard a short explanation of the Bioenergy Village in their visitor center, then were led on a tour of the facilities.
Juehnde is Germany’s first village to produce heat and electricity from renewable biomass. The plant provides heat and now water to the village and also sells electric energy onto the electricity grid. The bioenergy plant has three principle components: anaerobic digestion plant with a block-type thermal power station, wood chip burning boiler to meet high demand in winter and the village heating grid. The tour was very thorough, and the delegation learned much from seeing the energy suite, which is very similar to the plans for Reynolds. It was incredibly motivating for us all to see the finished product.
At the end of our tour, we walked through the town of Juehnde to the community center for a tradition German dinner. On the walk, several delegation members commented on how agriculture and housing were combined in such harmony and close proximity. There are three 100-plus-head milking operations and a swine operation within the town, yet they do not have difficulties between the townspeople and farmers.
At the dinner, we solidified relationships with the BioEnergy Village leaders and residents and learned more about the townspeople’s and farmers’ impressions of the Bioenergy Village. One of the key positive outcomes mentioned several times is the sense of community that has been fostered among the townspeople. Residents who normally did not interact, worked together in groups to develop the Bioenergy Village. There is also an extremely strong sense of empowerment and involvement in the community that has been revitalized by the success of the project.
On Friday, we look forward to sharing our plans for BioTown, USA with our new German friends; meeting people from neighboring towns pursuing bioenergy projects; and our closing discussions on the future of a BioTown, USA/Bioenergy Village partnership.
The delegation met with Goettingen University leaders, professors and researchers to learn about the university’s involvement in the Bioenergy Village. Goettingen is a university of approximately 25,000 students that dates back to the year 1737, when it was founded by King George II, King of Great Britain and Hannover. Over 40 Nobel Prize winners have researched or studies at Toettingen University. The university has 13 faculties and is active internationally, with participation agreements with over 70 countries.
Bottom to Top, L to R
1st row: Bobby Richey, Andy Miller, Dr. Volker Ruwisch, 2nd row: Brandon Seitz, Sabine Lieberz, John Heimich, Lesley Taulman; 3rd row: Jim Adams, Connie Neininger, Doug Tischbein, Klein Ileleji, Tom Westfall.
After extensive background meetings and information, the group met with the BioEnergy Village resources in Juehnde. In this picture, the mayor of Juehnde, Dietmar Bode, is addressing the delegation.
The BioTown, USA delegation received an in-depth tour of the Juehnde facility by one of the facilities 3 full time tour guides that have been hired to manage the number of visitors to Juehnde. In the background of the photo, you can see wood chip piles due to the mild winter and lack of necessity to tap into additional resources.
The Indiana delegaton presented the Bioenergy Village representatives with BioTown, USA hats and then the Bioenergy Village presented the Indiana delegation with ‘Bioenergiedorf’ hats. The picture is taken in front of the Bioenergy Village visitor center. They had over 3,000 visitors to tour the Bioenergy village last year.
The Indiana delegaton presented the Bioenergy Village representatives with BioTown, USA hats and then the Bioenergy Village presented the Indiana delegation with ‘Bioenergiedorf’ hats. The picture is taken in front of the stage one and stage two Anaerobic digesters. Approximately 35 cubic meters of silage and 30 tons of manure are used in the digesters each day.
At the end of the dinner, the delegation enjoyed an impromptu performance by the Juehnde trombone orchestra.
At the conclusion of the dinner, John Heimich presented the village of Juehnde with a bicentennial throw from Reynolds.
The mayor of Juehnde, Dietmar Bode, gave remarks thanking the delegation for visiting and expressing appreciation for the gift.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The delegation accomplished the two primary goals for the day and managed to see some of Berlin’s spectacular modern and historical sites along the way. Our first objective was to learn about Germany’s bioenergy industry, perspective and policy. This will be extremely valuable to put the Bioenergy Village into context when we visit Juehnde on Thursday and Friday. Our second objective was to showcase BioTown, USA to the U.S. Ambassador to Germany; German parliamentarians; the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection; and other German farmer and bioenergy organizations.
The delegation’s first meeting of the day was a joint meeting with the Union for Promotion of Oilseeds and Protein Plants (UFOP) and the German Biofuels Industry Association. UFOP was formed by a joint effort by the German Farmers Union (similar to Farm Bureau in the United States) and the German Plant Breeders Association. The German Biofuels Industry Association represents the interests of the German biofuel producers on a national and European level.
In this technical meeting, we learned the European Union’s goal is for 20 percent of their total energy consumption to be provided by renewable resources by the year 2020. We were reminded of Indiana’s 25 by 25, meaning Indiana’s goal is to have 25 percent of our energy provided by renewable resources by the year 2025. We also learned the importance of the environment to the Germans in their decision to focus on renewable resources.
Next, we met with Ambassador William Timken at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. The Ambassador stressed the importance and value of cooperative programs between the United States and other countries. He applauded us for our work and hopes to hear of a partnership between Reynolds and Juehnde in the near future.
The delegation toured the Reichstag (parliament building), which is completely powered by renewable resources, before meeting with German Parliament members on the Committee for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. The Deputy Speaker, Manfred Helmut Zoellmer, plus two other members of Parliament met with the delegation. During our meeting, I highlighted Indiana’s 25 by 25 renewable energy plan and John Heimlich, White County Commissioner and President of the BioTown Authority explained the phases of BioTown, USA and renewable energy in Indiana. It was noted by the Parliament members that seemingly distant technologies are actually available for implementation.
We had a very worthwhile exchange on biofuels and the food versus fuel debate, noting the positive response of the American farmer to the market conditions and high corn prices with planting of 12 million more acres of corn this year than in 2006. Improvement in crop genetics through biotechnology has also taken U.S. producers to new levels of productivity. We discovered we have arrived at the same platform for bioenergy and the benefits it provides to the agricultural sector and hope to share technology and partner in the future.
The last meeting of the day was with Clemens Neumann, the German Administrator for Strategic and Renewable Resources with the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection (BMELV), and Dr. Andreas Schuette with the German Agency for Renewable Resources, a component of the BMELV. Mr. Neumann gave an overview of Germany’s renewable energy goals, which exceed the European Union goals, and how they are working to accomplish them. Then we heard from Andreas Schuette on the assistance the Ministry provided to BioEnergy Village and what their future objectives are regarding the project. The Ministry provided a grant to Juehnde, which was selected from among competing villages to be the BioEnergy Village. The town was selected principally due to the level of commitment the residents of Juehnde had for the project. In the future, the Ministry plans to hold a ‘Bioenergy Region’ competition to increase awareness and usage of renewable resources and publish a guide that highlights the successes and difficulties that Juehnde went through in establishing the BioEnergy Village.
After learning about renewable resources in Germany and the history and foundation of the BioEnergy Village, everyone in the delegation is anxious to actually see the structures and discuss the project with Juehnde leaders and residents tomorrow.
The group toured the Reichstag (parliamentary building). The exterior of the building dates to pre-WWII, while the interior of the building was re-designed so that the structure is now an attractive mix of old and modern architecture. The Reichstag is powered by renewable energy.
L to R: Connie Neininger, Sabine Lieberz, Doug Tischbein, Tom Westfall, John Heimlich, Jim Adams
The Reichstag has a mirrored dome structure on the top that reflects light down into parliament meeting room, allowing the parliament during session using natural light later into the evening to conserve energy. The group paused for a moment in front of the cupola.
L to R: Jim Adams, John Heimlich, Tom Westfall, Brandon Seitz, Sabine Lieberz, Connie Neininger, Doug Tischbein, Klein Ileleji
The delegation met with the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, Ambassador William Timken at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin Mitte. The Ambassador is very interested and pleased with efforts to create partnerships between the United States and Germany. He wishes the group luck with their visit to Juehnde and completion of the BioTown, USA project, and looks forward to hearing more about cooperation between Reynolds and Juehnde.
Bottom to Top, L to R: 1st row: Bobby Richey, Andy Miller, Ambassador William Timken, Sabine Lieberz, 2nd row: Lesley Taulman, Brandon Seitz, Jim Adams; 3rd row: Tom Westfall, Connie Neininger, Doug Tischbein, Klein Ileleji, and John Heimlich
While walking from a meeting with the German Ministry for Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection to dinner, the group walked underneath the Brandenburg gate.
L to R: Bobby Richey, Doug Tischbein, Jim Adams, Andy Miller, Brandon Seitz, Tom Westfall, Connie Neininger, John Heimlich, Sabine Lieberz, and Klein Ileleji
The German Reichstag (Parliament Building).
The group walks along the cement marking showing where the wall formerly separated East Berlin from West Berlin.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The BioTown, USA delegation arrived in Berlin to cool, rainy, fall-like weather. We started the trip by meeting with Sabine Liebertz, Agricultural Assistant with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, and some sightseeing of Berlin on a boat tour around some of the city’s many canals. The boat outing took us past many of the features of both East and West Berlin, including the remnants of the Berlin Wall. We even saw an indication of the importance of bioenergy in Germany – there is an entire office building equipped with solar panels that is extremely energy efficient. The building houses offices of organizations and groups related to bioenergy and renewable resource.
We ended the day with a dinner at a traditional German restaurant with the U.S. Minister-Counselor of Agricultural Affairs to Germany Bobby Richey to help prepare us for a full day of meetings tomorrow. Bobby Richey expressed what a pleasure it is to see the chance of partnership and cooperation between the European Union and the United States on bioenergy through BioTown, USA and the Bioenergy Village.
We will have an early breakfast on Wednesday to brief us on economic conditions and agriculture in Germany before embarking on a full day of meetings in Berlin to learn more about Germany’s bioenergy strategies, progress and objectives.
This is a view of the longest-remaining stretch of the Berlin wall which once separated East Germany from West Germany. The majority of the wall has now been torn down, with many pieces being sold as souvenirs. The remaining wall is covered with graffiti emphasizing unifying messages.
Tom Westfall and John Heimlich reminisce on their Germany roots while learning about the historical sites of Berlin through a city tour.
