Swedish biogas, current production, future potential, and benefits

Current production and future potential

The total annual biogas production in Sweden is almost 1.3 terrawatt hours (figures
from 2006). Several studies have concluded that the potential production in Sweden
is c. 10 times larger than this, or approximately 14 terawatt hours per year (Linné
and Jönsson, 2004). These calculations assume that c.10% of the agricultural land
can be used to grow crops for digestion in biogas plants. If the possibility of
exploiting cellulose-rich woody materials (to produce so-called bio-methane) is also
considered (Held, 2007), the potential production of methane from native raw
materials increases to as much as 100 terawatt hours per year. Thus, the production
of bio-methane appears to be a realistic means of replacing a significant proportion
of the total annual consumption of fossil fuels in Sweden (90 terawatt hours).
Large-scale biogas plants are now being planned, for example outside Malmö and
Stockholm. These plants, which will produce more than 50 gigawatt hours per year,
will significantly increase the total biogas production in the country. The
economies of scale associated with such large-scale plants will also improve the
competitiveness of biogas.

There is today a large unrealized potential to increase the production of biogas from
many sewage treatment plants that treat sludge derived from wastewater
purification. Many of these plants could produce more biogas if conditions were
optimised for the process (Mårtensson, 2007). An increased production of biogas
could therefore be realized with little investment and keeping costs to a reasonable
level, since these plants already exist.

Benefits

An increased use of biogas as a fuel reduces our dependence on oil, which has
important advantages both for the environment and for the security of our energy
supply in the long-term. Furthermore, the biogas process plays an important role in
the recycling of nutrients between urban and rural areas and in the link between
consumption and production.

A strategic energy and fuel resource

Sweden must free itself from its dependence on fossil resources to secure a future
supply of energy and fuel for industry and transportation. An increasing demand
for crude oil from remote and politically unstable regions is threatening the
security of our supply. Interruptions in the supply of fossil fuels threaten to further
drive up prices, which would reduce the competitiveness of Swedish industry. The
development of biogas represents a strategically important step away from oil
dependence which will contribute to a sustainable energy supply in the long-term.
Sustainable waste management

Sustainable and efficient management of organic wastes implies that the nutrients
these wastes contain (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium) should be recycled
to productive land. From this point of view, organic wastes are an important
resource that can be exploited in a sustainable way. This also contributes to an
increased environmental awareness among those who source-sort their food waste.
Utilizing organic wastes in this way also reduces the amount that must be taken
care of in some other way, for example by combustion. With the help of the biogas
process, the production and consumption of food and energy from all sectors of
society can be included in a balanced re-circulation system. Integrated solutions for
water, energy and waste management will play an important role in the
development of sustainable urban areas.

Energy efficiency

One important factor to consider when arable land is used for the production of bioenergy
is the amount of energy obtained after subtracting the energy expended in
its production (i.e. the net energy production). The energy efficiency of growing
wheat for bio-fuel production was investigated in a study carried out at Lund
Technical University (Börjesson, 2004). The results showed that growing wheat on
arable land to produce biogas is c. 3 times more efficient than growing wheat for
ethanol production.

Energy can also be produced efficiently by combining ethanol and biogas
production. One example of this is the so-called Green gas plant at Norrköping,
which is run collaboratively by Agroetanol and Swedish Biogas. In this example,
ethanol is produced from wheat, while the residue by-product is used to produce
biogas by anaerobic digestion.

A thriving countryside

One of the advantages of biogas technology is that it can be established locally
without the need for long-distance transportation or import of raw materials. Small
or medium-sized companies and local authorities can establish biogas plants
anywhere (i.e. they need not be sited in any particular location, for example, in or
close to large cities).

Odour problems can be significantly reduced if manure is anaerobically digested
before being spread on the land. This can be a decisive factor in the survival of an
agricultural enterprise as an animal producer, especially if the land adjoins built-up
areas.

Cultivating crops for bio-energy on arable land is one way of maintaining land
within the agricultural sector. Surplus land (e.g. land that is today in ‘set-aside’)
otherwise runs the risk of eventually becoming overgrown. Biogas production
based on the cultivation of various agricultural crops thus maintains the potential
of the land to grow food crops in the future.

The profitability of agricultural enterprises can improve through the sale of
electricity and upgraded biogas, which means that more can survive to prevent the
re-forestation of the agricultural landscape. In turn, this will result in more job
opportunities and a thriving rural economy.

Clean fuel for industry

Methane is a fuel in demand by industry, partly because it is a gas, which gives a
high-quality combustion that can be precisely controlled. Methane burns with a
clean and pure flame, which means that boilers and other equipment are not
clogged by soot and cinders. This leads to a cleaner workplace environment and less
wear and tear on the plant. The methane molecule can also be used as a raw
material in many different manufacturing processes, with diverse final products
such as paints, plastics, furniture, animal feeds and lubricant oils.

Regional development and employment opportunities
The involvement of many interested parties in planning, construction, cost
estimation, administration and distribution is needed to ensure the successful
development of biogas as a vehicle fuel. In turn, this creates new job opportunities,
both locally and regionally. There are already several regional collaborative efforts
focused on biogas (Biogas West, Biogas South) and several more are planned (Biogas
East, Biogas North, Biogas Central). Promoting biogas also implies an investment in
job creation and regional development.

http://www.gasforeningen.se/upload/files/publikationer/rapporter/biogasinfo%20eng%202008%20sammansatt.pdf

All traffic should be fossil free in 2020

All electrical power for the trains is renewable power from hydro electric power plants or wind power. About 90 % of the city buses are run by vehicle gas. All traffic should be done by renewable fuels which are fossil free in 2020.


City buses
City buses in Kristianstad and Eslöv is driven by locally produced biogas. Landskrona has three electrically driven thread buses and these have zero emissions.
Other city buses have started to be run on gas as from summer 2006.
In Helsingborg the city buses is run by gas for vehicles which is a mixture of natural gas and biogas as from 2005. Skånetrafiken and the entrepreneurs running the traffic all work for the passengers best. All the traffic is carried out by contractors.


Traffic will be fossil free
Skånetrafiken has received the task from the Board of Local Public Transportation to start planning for reducing all fossil fuel in the traffic. This means that Skånetrafiken will be climate natural and that all traffic should be done by renewable fuels which are fossil free.

For city buses the goal is 2015 and three years later it is the regional buses turn. In 2020 all of the vehicles at Skånetrafiken should be running on fossil free energy.


A long term strategy
Fossil free public transport is a long term strategy and an environmental goal. A plan for action is taking its form and the measures are becoming tangible step by step during the coming years. The work should be done as an integrated part of the daily development activities and has no separate action plan.


Better environmental quality
Environmental goals, work and improvements Skånetrafikens main goal is that the emissions per person kilometre are lower in public transportation than travelling by car. This we have managed during 2007.
During 2007 has the emissions of nitrogen dioxide per person kilometre gone down. The rising amount of people travelling and buying new buses with better environmental quality makes the reduction possible.


Less people travel by car
The most likely is that Skånetrafiken during 2007 has taken shares of the market for cars.
- More than half of the traffic per person is done with about 57 %, renewable energy.
- Of the energy that Skånetrafikens consume about 35 % comes from renewable energy.
- Of the energy consumption in busses is about 47 % from gas, mainly natural gas.
- The share of biogas is about 13 % of the total energy consumption.


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