Biogas in the grid

Summary

In a pioneering measure, a plant was constructed in Malmo to upgrade biogas from sewage to natural gas quality.Photo credit: E.ON

Implementing sustainable mobility

Prior to the CIVITAS SMILE measure, biogas was available and used in only a few locations in Sweden as a vehicle fuel and there were no facilities for its use in Malmo. At the beginning of 2005, the majority of vehicles in Malmo were running on petrol, with far fewer using diesel, natural gas or a combination of fuel sources such as ethanol/petrol etc. City buses, a small number of cars in the municipal fleet, some taxis and a handful of privately owned cars were fuelled with natural gas.

In contrast to natural gas, biofuel is a renewable source of energy and it also makes a negligible contribution to greenhouse gases. The aim was therefore to introduce biogas into Malmo’s transport sector by upgrading the large amount of biogas produced at the sewage treatment plants in the city.

The specific goal of the SMILE measure was therefore to establish a plant for the upgrading of an annual 2 million Nm3 of biogas to natural gas quality to be used in vehicles in Malmo. It was also planned to install equipment to add the upgraded gas to the natural gas grid, and to construct two new gas filling stations to support the bio-fuels infrastructure.

Progress

The biogas upgrading plant at the Sjolunda sewage treatment plant was constructed and put into operation in summer 2008. Biofuel produced here was injected into the grid. Two compressed natural gas/biogas filling stations were constructed and put into operation.

Outcomes

The gas supplier Eon established a local biogas injection to the grid through the purchase of raw biogas from Sjolunda sewage treatment plant and the establishment of an upgrade facility. This led to the introduction of 10GWh of biogas to the local transportation system. The biogas upgrading plant produces biogas equivalent to 2 million litres of petrol each year.

Eon established a vehicle gas fuelling facility in Ystad, 60 km from Malmo, and a slow-filling gas facility where heavy goods vehicles can be fuelled overnight. This represents a much-needed improvement in fuelling infrastrcture in Malmo. 

The measure led to a reduction of 430,920 kg of CO2 emissions from vehicles in Malmo and the surrounding area during 2008.