Low-Cost Fuel: Asphalt-Mixing Plants Throughout Europe Opt for Lignite Energy

COLOGNE, Germany, May 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Plants in the UK also able to benefit from price advantages - Low capital cost of £400,000

Energy-intensive companies such as asphalt-mixing plants are especially hit by rising costs of oil and gas. Thus, more and more plants on the European continent opt for a low-cost and versatile energy source from the Rhineland: pulverized lignite. Under the product name "Lignite Energy Pulverized" it is marketed Europe-wide by Rheinbraun Brennstoff GmbH (RBB), a subsidiary of German RWE Power AG.

Anyone who currently wishes to convert their plant from fuel oil to cheaper natural gas may encounter difficulties: site development and the sinking of gas lines as well as royalties for adjacent properties may lead to extremely high capital and operating costs.

Not so with "Lignite Energy Pulverized": here, delivery is by silo truck or railway tank waggon. And the next steps to firing are in a closed system, just as in the case of oil and gas. Investment in silo, dosing plant and burner - about £400,000 per mixing plant - usually pays off in less than two years. In addition, independence is maintained as the plants are delivered with a bi-fuel burner so that a return to oil is possible at any time.

With an 80% share undisputed market leader in Germany

In Germany, where this industrial fuel has been used successfully for more than 20 years, it has already become the undisputed market leader amongst operators of asphalt-mixing plants: meanwhile about 80% of all plants have been converted to this fuel. And in all of Europe almost 1,000 plants are currently supplied with "Lignite Energy Pulverized".

RBB concludes long-term contracts with customers and delivers the fuel at a fixed price agreed in advance. Energy-price fluctuations are thus a thing of the past. The plant operator gains a dependable costing basis, giving him the planning certainty he needs.

Supply is ensured in the long term. Lignite is the only important energy source on the European continent at all to be available in significant quantities - for more than 300 years to come.  In addition, RWE Power, with the commissioning of a second bowl-mill crusher, increased its annual production capacity by another 500,000 tons to more than three million tons of "Lignite Energy Pulverized" in the past year so that it will be possible in future as well to meet the growing demand for pulverized lignite both at home and abroad without any problems.

The contact for the UK market is Rheinbraun Benelux NV, which is managed by Rolf Rodenkirchen and based in the Belgian town of Gent, from where the English-speaking countries are supported. If you are interested, RBB provides comprehensive advice on site and in addition assists in establishing contact with plant builders.

For further information, please visit http://www.lignite-energy.com.

Rheinbraun Benelux
Rolf Rodenkirchen
Industrieweg 14
B - 9032 Wondelgem
Tel:   +32(0)9-340-55-29
Tel:   +49(0)221-480-23293
Mobil: +49(0)17-32-56-00-45
Fax:   +49(0)221-480-23294
E-Mail: energy.uk@rwe.com