Alternative fuels (Gdansk)

Summary

Gdansk is concerned about greenhouse gas emissions and pollution arising from traffic in the city. It therefore looks into opportunities for the use of alternative fuels.

Implementing sustainable mobility

Gdansk’s public transport system is currently based on fossil fuels. With CIVITAS MIMOSA, Gdansk wants to raise awareness and explore possibilities for the use of less polluting fuels. The city conducted research to test acceptance, user needs and the requirements for a large-scale implementation of alternative fuels in the transport sector.
The main objectives of this measure are to:
• Investigate the feasibility of operating biofuels in public transport, commercial freight and private vehicles; and
• Prepare guidelines for the development of a programme for the implementation of biofuels.
To this end, Gdansk decided to conduct research covering a review of the state of the art, taxation issues, fuel supply, fuel distribution, vehicle fuelling, adaptation and maintenance

The MIMOSA measure ´Alternative Fuels´ aimed at examination the possibility of using
alternative fuels in public transport, car traffic and freight traffic in Gdansk. The measure
consisted on the elaboration of a report to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current
situation and the potential of development related to use of alternative fuel consumption in
Gdansk. The report ‘The possibility of a wide use of bio fuels for road transport in the City of Gdansk’ was prepared within this measure by the City, together with a group of experts from the Department of Chemical Apparatus and Theory of Machines at Gdansk University of Technology. This measure was a fully theoretical one without an implementation phase.
The report provides
• information of current usage of alternative fuels indicating the distribution network of petrol stations supplying pure biodiesel;
• comprehensive information  on potential use of alternative fuels and possibility of utilisation of PPO in Polish circumstances
• comprehensive information  on potential use of alternative fuels and possibility of utilisation of PPO in Polish circumstances;
• information on potential production of alternative fuels separately for each of six biofuels produces in Województwo Pomorskie (Pomorskie Province) and distribution which also applies to commercial freight fleet and private vehicles in general.
 

Progress

Polish version of the document is available from http://www.civitas-mimosa.eu/gdansk/Raportobiopaliwach.aspx Summary is distributed in a form of brochure.

Dissemination of the measure’s results (April 2011-April 2012)
• verification of the report delivered by the subcontractor
• organizing of a re-visit of stakeholders, during which all the stakeholders became
• acquainted with the results of the report
• producing the informative brochure about the research results
• distribution of the report and the brochure
 

Outcomes

Conclusions and results:
Only an implementation phase could show the specific effects of bio fuel applications in the
area of PT, car traffic and/or fright traffic in Gdansk. The final meeting with stakeholders where results were presented and discussed at least brought about a declaration of Public Transport Operator, ZKM – Zakład Komunikacji Miejskiej, on a preliminary agreement to carry out a pilot implementation phase in future.

Within measure implementation a wide range of surveys were carried out in order to examine knowledge and attitudes of residents of Gdansk towards alternative ways of powering vehicles. The surveys’ results showed a very positive attitude towards use of bio fuels among residents of Gdańsk. The respondents demonstrated a significant knowledge on basic issues considering bio fuels. Over 90% of respondents agree that Gdansk could benefit from introduction of public transport powered by bio fuels (sample size: 470).

There is a general lack of policy which supports bio fuels on a national level in Poland. The government does neither support nor promote usage of alternative fuels. Transport operators are not provided with any incentives when using bio fuels. Therefore also the distribution system is still underdeveloped. The same situation exists on the city level. Those are the factors causing a general lack of interest among most of the stakeholders in testing bio fuels in Gdansk.