The environmental benefits of using biogas are most profound when used in heavy vehicles in city traffic. Within Trendsetter, Stockholm has introduced biogas buses and trucks in order to reduce noise and harmful emissions.
The public transport company in Stockholm has decided that half of the company’s city centre buses should be replaced by biogas buses by the end of 2008. In a first step, 21 buses were bought in 2004. Another 130 will be introduced in the next years.
To secure biogas deliveries, Stockholm Transport has signed a long-term contract with the producer of biogas, Stockholm Water Company, which has also introduced three biogas lorries to its fleet. In 2–3 years, the company will replace every one of its diesel lorries with biogas lorries. Stockholm Transport has invested in a biogas filling station at the bus garage that is not to be used by the public.
People involved are pleased with the new vehicles and the environmental results are very good:
Fossil CO2 emissions have been reduced by 86%.
Some other health hazardous emissions are down by 50%.
Noise has been reduced by half
More than 90% of the drivers are satisfied or very satisfied and a majority of them would recommend others to drive biogas fuelled heavy vehicles.
The fuel consumption has gone up by 60%, but from renewable energy. This is because gas engines consume more fuel than diesel engines, especially when running at very low gear. Educating the drivers on how to drive gas vehicles can counteract this. Also, the biogas fuel price is low.
The maintenance costs are higher since biogas engines need more service and change of spare parts than a diesel engine. The consumption of motor oil has been twice as high compared to diesel vehicles.
More information:
Sven Alexanderson, Environment and Health Administration, +46 8 508 28 945,
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