He was first welcomed by Mayor Ralf Zimmermann in the town's half-timbered town hall and discussed current issues with him, such as the town's financial situation and the census. The head of the district administration then signed the town's Golden Book.
Fink biogas plant: electricity and heat from horse manure, silage maize and leather glue
Afterwards, District Administrator Allgaier and Mayor Zimmermann visited farmer Jürgen Fink's biogas plant. This converts horse manure, pig manure, silage maize, grain waste and leather into electricity and heat. Two combined heat and power plants produce 3.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year. Some of the heat is taken from the neighboring Gmelich leather factory, which also supplies the leather. This has created a win-win situation, as some of the glue leather previously had to be transported to the Netherlands for proper disposal and now heats a hall at the leather factory instead. In 2023, the German Biogas Association named the co-digestion plant "Biogas Plant of the Month January". Zimmermann was delighted to be able to show the district administrator an exemplary plant like this one. According to the mayor, this is an example of how energy generation and agriculture can be set up for the future.
A ground-mounted photovoltaic system could be built in the vineyards
They then looked together at an area in the vineyards that could serve as the location for a possible ground-mounted photovoltaic system. The head of the district administration made it clear that approval is currently difficult due to the legal situation. However, following the planned legislative changes over the course of the year - the EU's RED III Directive (third version of the Renewable Energy Directive) must be transposed into national law by May 2025 and further simplify the approval process - the site itself is not unsuitable for the project. "In view of the fact that, unfortunately, more and more vineyards are being abandoned, renewable energy sources are in demand and legal regulations are changing, we need to seriously examine such projects," said District Administrator Allgaier. Mayor Zimmermann was delighted that the prospect of examining the site had been raised.
"Stadt am Bach" leisure area to be completed by the end of 2025
Finally, the head of the district administration visited the planned "Stadt am Bach" leisure area Mayor Zimmermann explained that an area of around 7,000 square meters in the Winzerhäuser Tal valley in the north-east of the Großbottwar district is to be converted into an attractive leisure area by the middle of the year. The plans include trampolines, a rope slide, a boules court, a bouldering wall, climbing frames, an artificial mountain bike track ("pump track") and a wooden shelter. The plans are based on the results of the citizens' survey from 2022, which was extremely successful with over 1,000 responses. The city is expecting total costs of around 900,000 euros, of which it will provide more than 500,000 euros itself and the Verband Region Stuttgart will provide funding of 300,000 euros. The KSK Foundation is also contributing. Of the original shortfall of 86,000 euros, 51,000 euros have now been financed through donations. "I think it's excellent that the leisure area is to become a place for people to meet, play and get together between the generations," said District Administrator Allgaier.
