Swedish biofuels policy with emphasis on biogas

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Swedish biofuels policy with emphasis on biogas

• Anders Lewald
• Swedish Energy Agency

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Background

• Sweden has for many years investigated the
  possibility with renewable fuels for transport
• During the 80-ties
• studies where made for methanol, both production
  and usage. It worked but the economy could not be
  found

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Background

• During the 90-ties
• an ethanol path was started, ethanol from
  cellulose, fleet operation of buses started
• in parallel with production, a strong debate and
  activities focused on environmentally acceptable
  vehicles electric, E85, E10, RME and biogas
• an investigation pointed out biogas as the most
  promising renewable fuel with regard to local
  emissions
• pilot plants and all biogas plants got tax
  reduction
• a lot of investments were made in both ethanol
  from grain as well as biogas combined with
  upgrading facilities for vehicle use

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Develpoment of a policy

• In the process of establishing the EU bio
  fuels directive a Swedish strategy/policy for
  introduction as well as and research and
  development of renewable fuels was formed among
  four governmental agencies
• Swedish Energy Agency
• Swedish Road Administration
• Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
• Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation
  Systems

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The policy with regard to biogas

• The policy points out cellulose biomass as the
  main path and resource. It points out
  gasification and fermentation as the main
  production technologies. Biogas is regarded as a
  niche fuel.

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Government policy today

• 2003 a general tax reduction is given for
  renewable fuels to 2008
• 2005 Sweden sets the target for bio fuels in the
  transport sector to 3 2005 with the aim to
  fulfil the EU directives 5,75 to 2010

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Driving forces

• The driving forces for renewable fuels has
  varied
• after the oil crisis in the seventies and
  eighties, national security of supply
• later local emissions
• today, in Sweden, mainly greenhouse emission
  reduction combined with a growing concern in
  security of supply

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Potential

• Biogas (methane) can be derived from anaerobic
  digestion and from gasification
• Anaerobic digestion has a significant but limited
  potential but if the gasification potential is
  added it is becomes much greater

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Interesting activities

• I Norrköping a production plant are under
  construction for biogas from ethanol production
  left over
• It is also an interesting development on the
  possibility for large scale production of methane
  from gasification

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Focus

• The main focus for production RD are then still
  gasification and fermentation focusing the
  processes in three pilot plants
• The activities also includes dissemination with
  the focus on industrial development

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Pilot development plant in Örnsköldsvikfor
ethanol from cellulose
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Pilot development plant in Piteåfor synthesis
gas from black liquor
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Pilot development plant in Värnamofor synthesis
gas from solid biomass