Future in Western Sweden
In the future the natural gas network will be expanded to the petrochemical industry and refineries along the coast. It will even be expanded to include the industrial area north of the Göteborg region. There are also plans to build out the pipeline to the Stockholm region. The reason for the increased demand for natural gas and a larger pipeline is the lower price in comparison with oil, gasoline and diesel. In addition to this, the natural gas reserve is deemed more stable than oil and have environmental benefits. The emissions from industry in Western Sweden can be decreased by for example 95-99% of sulphur and particles, which is equivalent to approximately 10% of the total amount emitted in Sweden. Biogas is added to the natural gas network mainly from agriculture but also from the municipal sewage treatment plants and waste, the forestry and food industry along the pipeline in southern and western Sweden. Biogas is available from many tanking stations in accordance with the “Green Gas Principle”. This implies an enormous possibility for biogas together with hydrogen fuel from the petrochemical industry and other industries to be distributed and used via the natural gas pipeline. This would be a step towards hydrogen fuel technology. The concept would contribute to a cost effective decrease in greenhouse gases, lowered health risks in urban areas and a more closed loop for waste handling. A new tool for the long-term development of waste handling systems for cities will be developed. In total approximately 1 TWh biogas per year is produced and used in southern and western Sweden for automobiles, this is equivalent to approximately 75,000 automobiles driving 15,000 kilometres per year. In addition to this approximately 2 TWh of natural gas is used for vehicles which replace approximately 150,000 gas driven vehicles. This entails a decrease in greenhouse gas by 100% for biogas vehicles and 20% for vehicles driven on natural gas in comparison to automobiles driven solely on gasoline. The total number of cars fuelled by natural or biogas amounts to approximately 225,000 vehicles which is equivalent to approximately 1/3 of the total amount of vehicles in Western Sweden. A pilot test plant to produce synthetic methane from organic waste and biomass has been built in Western Sweden using biomass hydrogasification (high heat under pressure without oxygen). This makes an increase in biogas production for automobiles possible.
www.dragster.se
Actors and participants in the project
There are approximately 20 participants from municipalities, industry and various organisations who finance the project. The actors represent the whole biogas chain from automobile producers, distributors (filling station companies, natural gas companies), biogas producers (owners and suppliers) of raw materials (waste companies and agriculture). Biogas Väst’s strategy is to ensure that municipalities, interested companies and organisations cooperate and exchange competence and network to reach the above-mentioned goals and visions. Biogas Väst initiates and co-ordinates activities, motivates and assists the participating parties while at the same time ensuring the transfer of knowledge. The following are participating in the project:
Presentation of the Biogas Väst project
Companies:
Volvo Car Corporation, Volvo Group, FordonsGas Väst, Nova Naturgas, Göteborg Energy, ABB, NCC, SITA, Sydkraft Ecoplus, Dafgård, Kronfågel, Reppe, Swedish Meat
Municipal actors:
Borås, Trollhättan, Götene, Lidköping and Skara, The Traffic and Public Transport Authority of the City of Göteborg and Business Region Göteborg.
Authorities and organisations:
The County Administration of the Västra Götaland Region, The Swedish National Road Administration in Western Sweden and LRF (The Federation of Swedish Farmers). Biogas Väst is administered by Business Region Göteborg
Norra Hamngatan 14, SE-411 14 Göteborg, Sweden Phone: +46 31 61 24 02, Fax: +46 31 61 24 01, E-mail: info@brg.goteborg.se www.businessregion.se
Background and purpose
The city of Göteborg in unique cooperation with several of the surrounding municipalities and companies in Western Sweden, such as Volvo Cars and the Volvo Group, have over the course of several years developed a unique concept for the production, distribution and use of biogas for vehicles. The concept has been a catalyst for further investments in Western Sweden and has been further developed for cooperation to take place on both a regional and national level. The goal of the project is to improve the environment and create new jobs.
Why bio fuel?
1. Increased domestic supply of fuel and thus a lowered dependence on oil The use of domestic fuel decreases the dependence on oil. In theory, Sweden has a potential to produce 17TWh of bio fuel. This is equivalent to approximately 30% of the demand for fuel from Swedish personal automobiles. 2.Decreased impact on climate The use of biogas as a fuel for vehicles does not give an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The use of biomass for biogas production is also considered to reduce methane since it eliminates the emission of methane from landfills
Methane- a bridge to hydrogen technology
Methane gas is strategically linked to the development of hydrogen fuel technology in several ways. The injection of hydrogen into methane gas increases the efficiency of the vehicle engine and decreases the hydrocarbon emissions. Hydrogen fuel can be distributed up to 8% through the natural gas grid. The natural gas grid can receive surplus amounts of hydrogen fuel from for example industry located along the grid. Automotive producers such as Volvo Car Corporation and their suppliers are building up expertise on how to manage pressurized gas. The owners of gas filling stations such as FordonsGas Väst and their suppliers are also building up expertise in this area. The production of hydrogen fuel from methane (the simplest carbon molecule CH4) is today the easiest and cheapest method. The technique for methane gas under pressure can be developed and used for future hydrogen powered vehicles.
Cooperation between biogas and natural gas
The Biogas Väst concept builds upon the cooperation between biogas and natural gas, which are chemically the same substance (methane) but the difference between the two is that biogas is renewable. This cooperation is seen as a possibility and pre-requisite to make biogas an important fuel and a part of the Swedish and European fuel strategy. An important aspect is the “Green Gas Principle”- to be able to distribute biogas through the natural gas grid. Biogas is cleaned and methane levels are improved to acceptable levels and the gas is added to the natural gas grid. Biogas can in this way replace natural gas.
and nature. 3. Economical savings- lowered impacts on the environment and human health The cost to society for emissions of NOx, PM, CO2 and methane are reduced by 5.69 Swedish kronor (SEK) per litre by switching from gasoline to biogas. Compared to diesel cars in big cities the costs are decreased by 11.02 SEK per litre. 4. Digestion contributes to solving waste problems A new tool in a long-term sustainable waste system for cities can be developed. Biodegradable waste can be used as a digester for biogas. The digestion of non-contaminated raw material is also an excellent organic fertilizer. 5. The addition of nutrients to agriculture- sustainable waste systems During the digestion of certified “green” waste/raw materials the residuals from the process can be used by the agricultural sector as a substitute for fertilizer. This organic fertilizer contains large amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Raw materials from agriculture for biogas production also entails lower nitrogen leakage, open landscapes and increased possibilities for organic farming. 6. New business opportunities Higher oil prices will create new business opportunities in the production, distribution and automotive sectors. In for example, agriculture there is a big potential for growing grass for biogas production as well as improved possibilities for organic cultivation with the use of organic fertilizer.
Goals
The main goal of the Biogas Väst project is to stimulate the development of a market for the production and distribution of biogas and to ensure that developments of gas-fuelled vehicles occur. Biogas Väst also aims to promote the development of a market for biogas through the cooperation with natural gas and to contribute to the development of competence and first class technology that can be used for export. By 2006 the following results should be reached in the Västra Götaland region: • 35 filling stations for methane gas • 7,000 methane powered vehicles • production of 120GWh biogas per year.
The potential of Bio fuel in Western Sweden
Studies have shown that the 12 most agriculture intensive municipalities in the Western Götaland Region have a potential to produce 1 TWh of biogas per year. This figure is based on the use of all available manure and the cultivation of grass on land currently not in use for agriculture. Agricultural waste and biogas produced from sewage sludge and waste is also included.