Official opening of the biomethanol synthesis plant as part of the bV-A1 joint project
On a sunny and windy 10 September 2026, the WIR! alliance biogeniV held the official opening ceremony for its biomethanol synthesis plant at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences. The plant produces biomethanol, which is used, for example, as fuel for shipping or as a building block for chemical syntheses. The biomethanol is synthesised from biogenic CO₂ (a by-product obtained, for example, from biogas plants) and hydrogen (produced by hydrolysis using renewable wind or solar energy). Both components are abundant in the region and, in some cases, remain untapped.
Speaking before an audience of more than 40 guests from the worlds of business, research, politics and society, guest speaker Dr Wolfgang Blank (Minister for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) described the biomethanol synthesis plant as “a powerful example of the conversion of biogenic residues and renewable energy into innovative products – and ‘made in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’”.
The town of Anklam and its partners have received a further 8 million euros in funding for the biogeniV innovation alliance
The town of Anklam has announced a significant achievement: as part of the federal programme “WIR! – Change through Innovation in the Region”, the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is providing a total of 15 million euros to the biogeniV innovation alliance – coordinated by Anklam – up to 2028. A further 8 million euros of this sum is earmarked for the second funding phase, which has now been approved.
The biogeniV alliance was launched back in 2022 and successfully initiated its first collaborative projects during the initial phase. The continuation of the programme had long been uncertain due to the federal government’s tight budgetary situation. This makes the recent approval – which is based on an expanded strategic concept developed by the alliance partners – all the more welcome. This concept outlines how the region can benefit from innovative technologies in the future. The focus remains on close cooperation between local authorities, industry, academia and the agricultural sector. The aim is to develop and implement sustainable solutions for the region’s energy and fuel supply.
Mayor Michael Galander is delighted: “This funding commitment sends a strong signal about our region’s innovative strength. It confirms the successful path we have taken with biogeniV and opens up new prospects for the sustainable development of Anklam and the surrounding area.” Even in the first phase, promising approaches were developed for the decentralised production of green methanol and for the purification of biogas using special biomethane membranes. To enable these technologies to be utilised regionally in the future, a research group is currently working on the design of the Anklam Energy Region (AnkER). As part of this, public events are also planned to give local residents an insight into the projects.
The town of Anklam would like to thank all partners and contributors for their commitment and looks forward to the next phase of implementation.
Digestate from biogas plants is to be turned into green chemicals – new collaborative project launched
As part of the biogeniV innovation alliance, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg is collaborating with partners to research a new process for converting regionally available waste materials – such as digestate from biogas plants – into methanol-based green chemicals. Two new research projects have been launched following the approval of funding by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space as part of the ‘WIR! – Innovation and Structural Change’ programme: the ‘Residue Drying’ project and the ‘Residue Gasification’ project. The biogeniV innovation alliance is coordinated by the Hanseatic City of Anklam.
Wandel durch Innovation in der Region (WIR!; engl. change by innovation in regions) - support program
The WIR! programm was initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and supports new regional alliances for sustainable innovation-based change in economically underdeveloped regions.The biogeniV alliance - utilization of green residual materials - as one of 23 WIR! alliances convinced the jury of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In a two phase selection process with more than 130 appllications, our alliance could enforce wit its regional and technically innovative concept to start the implementation phase with a budget of 15 million euros.
WIR! focus on broad regional alliance with differents members, which identify common innovation potentials. New strategic approaches with already existing innovation potential of our region will be prepared for the future. Creativitiy, courage and farsightedness will enforce the regional profile and offer new perspektives for the change.
People in the center of unused potentials and sustainable structures
The support programm is consciously open for different topics and puts the regional people in the center. On the one hand they are particular affected by the structure change. On the other hand they can manage with their own competence and responsibility the own self-defined innovation area. In this way the alliance members of the region initiate their own dynamic of innovations and pave the way for structural change.
WIR! adresses mainly regions, which have up to now not a visible profile in the innovation area, but have the potential to use the up to know unused innovation potential. This potential shall be utilized by the WIR! alliances.