Policy Sections

Mini Sections

HOME Energy Supply

•   Del.icio.us
•   Digg It
•   Technorati

Biogas 'goes to next level'

Sir,
In Gothenburg, biogas is produced locally by digestion of sewage waste, providing the equivalent of 4000 passenger cars with a fuel that is cleaner than petrol, or any other biofuel.

Now Göteborg Energi is taking biogas production to the next level. By gasification of low-grade biomass such as forestry residues, we can produce biogas in much greater quantities. 

Our aim is to build a biomass gasification plant with a capacity to produce enough biogas for 75,000 cars. We will convert wood chips into methane with 70% efficiency. We plan to have the plant in operation by 2011 at a cost of roughly €150 million. Since the technology employed is untested on this scale, we are depending on government or EU funding. 

Public awareness of biogas as a fuel for vehicles is crucial for our success in this project. Of course, biogas could be used for many more applications than for vehicles. But we are convinced that the transport sector will play a key role as a driver of new technology, because the willingness to pay in this sector is high, and that there is a very real opportunity for consumers to individually contribute to a more sustainable society.

Anders Hedenstedt
CEO Göteborg Energi AB
Gothenburg

OUR NEWSLETTERS