Biogas upgrading and use as transport fuel

Biogas upgrading and use as transport fuel

Summary

Biogas is used as transportation fuel in a number of countries but in Europe it has only reached a major breakthrough in Sweden and in Switzerland . All of the biogas plants in Sweden that are in the planning or construction phase will be equipped with possibilities to deliver a biogas that is upgraded to natural gas quality, either for direct use as vehicle fuel or for injection into the natural gas grid. The development of biogas as vehicle fuel in Sweden is a result of a combination of a surplus of gas from biogas plants, primarily at the sewage treatment plants, and a low electricity price that forces the biogas into markets other than electricity production.

Introduction

The supply of petroleum fuels will gradually decrease and these will have to be replaced by sustainable fuels. This have been addressed by the European Commission in the directive 2003/30/EG where the following targets are set:

• 2% biofuels by the end of 2005
• 5,75% biofuels by the end of 2010.

In the short term this means that biofuels that already are present on the market and where suitable vehicle technology is available (biogas, ethanol, biodiesel) must be used and development activities in order to develop long term alternatives (e g hydrogen) must be intensified. Biogas is a biofuel that in Europe in general mainly has been regarded as a fuel suitable for electricity generation in gas engines. Biogas can just as well be used in vehicle engines and there are today more than 4000 vehicles in Sweden running on biogas and natural gas.

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