Biogas as vehicle fuel
This reports is a survey over biogas production and utilisation in the EU. The biogas is a non-fossil gas which is produced from sewage, manure, landfills or food industry waste. With those numerous and abundant origins, the potential of the European biogas production is so large that it could replace 12 to 20 % of the natural gas consumption. However, because of a high investment cost and a heavy infrastructure, only fifty percent of the biogas production is upgraded, and the natural gas replacement is very low.
This renewable energy is already used for heat and electricity production, but the best upgrading solution of this clean energy should be the injection into the natural gas grid or the production of vehicle fuel.
Today, the lack of European legislation and regulation on the renewable energies is a barrier to the development of upgraded biogas. Even if European and national incentives focused on the utilisation of clean energy and renewable fuel is now being discussed, the biogas future depends very much on national concerns.
There is evidence that a good natural gas infrastructure and a favourable legislation would permit a faster biogas development and spread (this is the case for Switzerland and South of Sweden). Nevertheless it is necessary to take in consideration that biogas is worth using rather than natural gas because of its renewable sources.
Despite of those obstacles, some European countries and cities have set up biogas as vehicle fuel projects. It is the case of Sweden, France, Switzerland, Iceland and Italy who started in the 90´s bus, lorries and cars biogas fleets. It is important to know that today, the development of the biogas production is more a question of marketing and industrialisation than a question of research and development.
With about 1500 vehicles and 22 biogas refuelling stations, Sweden is the most advanced country of Europe. It is followed by Switzerland who has about 600 biogas vehicles running on a mix of biogas and natural gas. At least, the cities of Lille (France, 124 vehicles), Reykjavik (Iceland, 44 vehicles) and Roma (Italy, 12 vehicles) developed viable and important biogas fleet realisations.
An analysis of those pilot biogas achievements shows incontestable positive results. From an environmental point of view, the biogas as vehicle fuel demonstrated its qualities in comparison with fossil fuels.
Even if there it is not economical profit yet, all those projects are economically viable because they respect some basic rules as providing a sufficient infrastructure, producing substantial volumes through industrial solutions, proposing favourable legislation, support by politics, reaching fixed goals and being helped by European Commission and International projects.
As a conclusion to the guideline, setting up a city biogas project needs a strategic alliance between the actors of the project (politics, producers, and distributors). But it is important to have in mind the satisfaction of the consumer that passes through a good infrastructure, an attractive product and a large communication.
Issued byClean Vehicles in Stockholm, Stockholm Environment and Health Administration, Box 380 24, SE-100 61 Stockholm, Sweden Project leaderBjörn Hugosson, Stockholm Environment and Health Administration, tel +46 8-508 28 940, bjorn.hugosson@miljo.stockholm.se Author Charlotte Plombin, , Engineering student at the Ecole des Mines d´Albi, France LanguageEnglish Target groupsProfessionals in the field of clean vehicles and biofuels
 Download pdf; Biogas as vehicle fuel, Trendsetter report No 2003:3, english, 51p.
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