California and Sweden Sign Agreement to Jointly Develop Biomethane and Other Renewable Fuels

FLEET CENTRAL NEWS - - California and Sweden Sign Agreement to Jointly Develop Biomethane and Other Renewable Fuels PASADENA, CA – In a ceremony held at the Ministry of the Environment in Stockholm, representatives of the Kingdom of Sweden and the State of California signed an agreement pledging the two governments and their related industries to work together to develop bioenergy, with a particular emphasis on biomethane.

More than 8,000 vehicles in Sweden are powered by a combination of natural gas and biomethane. The vehicles include transit buses, refuse trucks, and more than 10 different models of passenger cars. There are more than 25 biomethane production facilities in Sweden and 65 filling stations. The Swedish biomethane industry has been growing at an annual rate of about 20 percent over the past five years.

In particular, Sweden has been a global leader in terms of converting biowaste, largely agricultural material and residues, into usable biomethane. This gas is then used to either generate electricity, residential heating, or as a transportation fuel. Roughly 50 percent of the methane used to power Sweden’s natural gas vehicles comes from biological sources.
Sweden was motivated to develop its biomethane industry because it has no natural gas reserves, to more efficiently manage its waste, and to meet its obligations under the Kyoto Accord. Since biomethane is developed from methane sources that would normally release into the atmosphere, it’s considered one of the most climate friendly fuels. Methane is 21 times more reactive as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (CO2). Sweden is currently meetings its objectives and schedule as outlined in the Kyoto accord.

Biomethane is developed by heating up and breaking down biomaterials in a digester. Among other raw materials, Swedish operators feed their digesters with slaughterhouse waste, swine manure, and even grassy crops. After the materials breakdown over a 20-day period, technology is then used to remove the impurities and produce biomethane. Once cleaned-up, biomethane is 98 percent methane and easily meets the Swedish and California pipeline standards.

In addition to biomethane, Sweden is also taking a leadership position in the development of an ethanol refueling network. Sweden has more than 300 E-85 stations. Among others, Volvo and Saab have developed cars that can effectively run on E-85.

Photo credit: univ-pau.fr