Biomethane Best EU practices from the Karamel Newsletter

Biomethane: which are best practices in Europe?

From the collection of relevant feedstocks to end-uses of biomethane, what can be learnt from the main European experiences? Pierre Hirtzberger, project coordinator of BIOGASMAX, will provide responses at the European Conference on Biomethane Fuel, 7th-9th of September in Göteborg. Come and join this major event on biomethane fuel!
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Germany: new legal tools on grid injection

The European Institute for Energy Research (EIFER), based in Karlsruhe, has entered in the « Biogasmax Circle of Friends ».

EIFER presented, 16th of June, to BIOGASMAX partners the legal framework regarding the grid injection of biomethane in Germany. Amongst the 4000 biogas plants running today in Germany, 20 plants inject biomethane into the natural gas grid (plus 20 sites in project).

Following the new legal framework adopted beginning of 2009, biomethane production plant should be increasing in the next few years. The new national energy policy has set up ambitious goals towards biomethane development: 6 billion m3 of biométhane in 2020 (6% of the national needs of gas), 10 billion m3 in 2030 (10% of the national needs of gas)..learn more ...

France/Czech Rep.: European Commission approves state aid to transport sector
Brussels, Belgium, 25th May 2009; The European Commission has announced not to raise any objections under the EC Treaty state aid rules to the financial support of the transport sector in France. The French approach particularly supports urban CNG buses and service trucks and also mentions biomethane. The Commission also decided positively on the Czech state aid request which supports projects for constructing and upgrading alternative refuelling stations for public transport operators.

The official decision by the Commission to authorize the French state aid programme was already made on 17th December 2008 (see attachment), but the original wording of the Commission's approval was not published until 25th May. Starting 1st January 2009, henceforward, the French state is able to financially support the French transport sector until end of December 2014.
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Biogasmax Conference on Biomethane 7-9 September 2009

Here is a great conference to attend for those interested in renewable vehicle fuel from biogas. The whole subject of vehicle fuels and air pollution is going to become a really hot subject in my view, after the UK budget in the next few weeks, when we are told to expect moves on reducing emissions and advancing the renewable energy agenda. It is to be hoped it won't just be an elector grabbing take on zippy electric cars...

The EU Biogasmax project has for three years implemented cross-analysis, research and innovation developments on biomethane as a vehicle fuel. This conference will give a great focus on the outcomes brought from this major European Commission funded initiative.

Biomethane offers a unique opportunity to integrate waste management solutions with the production and use of a clean burning, low carbon transport fuel. This event will bring together expertise on the production, upgrading and distribution of biomethane, management of transport fleets and environmental assessment to make a strong case for the production of biomethane from organic waste, and its use in transport applications.

Presentations will include best practice from Sweden, France, Switzerland, Italy and beyond, insights on the gas vehicle market, on the on-coming European Commission policies and vision, expertise in the production, upgrading and distribution of biomethane, and details of assistance available for those considering biomethane projects.

The conference also offers the opportunity to participate in study visits to see projects first hand, and to discuss with those having hands-on experience. Above all, the event will represent an excellent opportunity to meet and network with a wide range of stakeholders involved in the production and use of biomethane, both informally and also through our expert panel sessions.


Book the dates!and welcome to Sweden at the Biogasmax Conference on Biomethane 7-9 September 2009.

Stockholm - Biogas First Choice as the Cleanest Fuel Available

This is a posting from KARAMEL BiogasMax the EU sponsored biogas web site:

Stockholm : an increasing number of buses fueled with biomethane
bus stockholm 050109

SL, the company in charge of Public Transport in the town and the county of Stockholm, announced that its fleet will include 80 buses running on biomethane this year. An SL analysis showed that biomethane is the most environmental friendly and economically attractive biofuel.

SL (Storstockholms Lokaltrafik), in charge of the whole of the Public Transport in and around Stockholm, operates more than 700 000 travels a day. As SL is concerned about environmental impact of its activity, it has run for quite a long time an environmental policy of CO2 emissions reduction. Thus, our Biogasmax partner introduced its first biogas buses by 2003, to reach lately the number of 52 units, which run today with gas natural and bioethanol buses.

An SL analysis that tackles different alternative fuels shows that biomethane is the most efficient biofuel : bioethanol does not offer the same environmental advantages, apart from other ethical concerns. The biomethane use as fuel for vehicle in Public Transport clearly creates an attractive environmentally closed loop : this means that the town-dwellers themselves, with the production of their organic wastes, supply the ressources required for the fuel production of their own public transport.

SL states that biogas is the first-hand choice as it is the cleanest fuel available today. Thus, it announces an expansion of the number of biogas buses : 80 (currently 50 articulated gas buses) by the end of that year, and, over the next four years, a view of 500 units. Today, these buses operate in the inner city of Stockholm, where air quality is the worst. But, as the number of these biogas buses increases, they will operate in the suburbs of Stockholm.

The expansion of the biogas buses depends of course on the local production capacity of biomethane. SL has secured the long term supply via agreements with Stockholm Water and Käppala Association. Go to BiogasMax here.

Bio-methane for Transport Vehicle Use Encouraged in United Kingdom

The following post was placed on the KARAMEL web site and appeared in Biogasmax ( www.biogasmax.eu ) on 6 March 2008, and although it is not exactly a new posting, I thought it of sufficient interest to include here.

I am not absolutely certain about the definition of bio-methanisation as used by the Europeans, but in this context it appears to be refering to the scrubbing and compressing of biologically produced methane, as is produced by anaerobic digestion.

The posting follows:-

Increasing interest for bio-methane in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is becoming more and more interested in bio-methanisation and in bio-methane for vehicle use. This renewable « natural gas » has already attracted the attention of the UK government. English companies with an interest in natural gas and renewable energies, supported by John Baldwin (Managing Director of CNG Services Ltd), are hoping to obtain the same financial status for this « green » gas as that accorded to «green» electricity. During the Biogasmax Friends Day (30.01.08 in Bern), we were pleased to welcome a scientific observer from Exeter University. As well as this, on March 03, 2008, Cenex organized a one-day conference in London to promote organic waste bio-methanisation with the aim of clean fuel production.

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Since 2005 – 2006, six new bio-methanisation plants have been built in the United Kingdom, increasing UK capacity by over 100%. In 2007, two new plants were started and many new biogas projects indicate that similar levels of expansion are now possible in Germany.

The British Minister for Sustainable Consumption and Production, Joan Ruddock, declared that her Department considered «Anaerobic Digestion» the best process for dealing with organic waste. Many studies show that the energy cost of upgrading biogas to bio-methane is insignificant and there are no regulatory barriers to injecting bio-methane into the natural gas grid.

The UK Gas Industry Trade Association, along with NGVA Europe (Natural Gas Vehicle Association) and REA (Renewable Energy Association) are lobbying for this renewable gas in order to get financial support from the government. They are claiming equivalent treatment for bio-methane as that accorded to «green» electricity, so that gas suppliers could offer «green» gas tariffs. John Baldwin, Managing Director of CNG Services Ltd, supports this campaign, pointing out that bio-methane production offers solutions to many problems: waste recycling, reduction in global warming and reduction in fossil fuel imports.

To underline his point about the huge potential of bio-methane, John Baldwin quotes the experiences of Biogasmax partners such as Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, and the French town of Lille, which has an Organic Waste Valorisation Centre supplying bio-methane to the city’s buses. At the Biogasmax Friends Day, held in Bern on January 30 2008, our partners were able to take on board the UK interest in our project, welcoming a young researcher from Exeter, Dr. Ulf Winkler, whose work deals with the assessment of best practice in managing urban transport.

On March 03, 2008, Cenex, in partnership with NGVA Europe (Natural Gas Vehicle Association) and Environmental Protection UK, hosted a one-day conference in London (Devonport House, Greenwich). Its purpose was to highlight the environmental virtuous circle of bio-methanisation, which offers both a solution to urban organic waste treatment and a possible answer to the obligation to increase the proportion of biofuel in global consumption.

New EU Web Venture Biogasmax Web Site

Pierre Hirtzberger, Project leader Biogasmax has contacted me to publicise the Biogasmax web site. He describes it as being for, decision-makers, actors in the alternative energy area.

The european project Biogasmax has created a network of different european cities to share experiences concerning production and use of biomethane as fuel.

The Internet site is on line. It will be filled up in the months to come by results coming from the members.

The members seem to be six cities, which are looking at biogas use, sources and to improved technology. At least one city is using improved biogas from Anaerobic Digestion from sewage works anaerobic digestors.

See the web site it at http://www.biogasmax.eu.