S USTAI NABLE T R ANSI TION
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS THINK
“We received help building filling stations for liquid biogas” When the Finnish energy company Gasum wanted to establish liquid biogas filling stations in Sweden, they needed help. At IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, they found Sweden’s leading experts in the field, who provided them with expert support to build 16 stations around the country in a short space of time. And there are more on the way. “Being able to hand over important elements to a party that possesses leading-edge expertise has felt incredibly reassuring. For us, the work that Anders has done has been crucial when it comes to developing this part of our business plan,” said Mikael Antonsson, area manager for heavy traffic at Gasum. Mikael Antonsson discusses the fact that Gasum has built 16 filling stations for liquid biogas and that they are planning to build at least a hundred more, with IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute’s biogas expert Anders Hjort playing a central role in this work. And there are more on the way, because interest in liquid biogas is increasing dramatically, according to Mikael Antonsson. “It’s a kind of ‘Greta effect’. The only thing hindering our expansion now is the fact that it can take a long time and be difficult to find land to build the stations on,” said Mikael Antonsson. Anders Hjort was recruited to IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute five years ago as part of a strategic drive to build up expertise regarding biogas. At the same time, IVL purchased the company that Anders Hjort was working at, thereby acquiring additional experts in the field of biogas. This has significantly strengthened IVL’s expertise. Anders Hjort has been involved in countless biogas-related activities and has long had established contacts with Gasum. Gasum is one of the Finnish state’s energy companies in the Nordic energy market, primarily in the gas sector. Liquid biogas, or
LBG as it is usually abbreviated, is particularly suitable for trucks. LBG consists of methane from the digestion of food waste and other waste, which is cooled down to minus 160°C. At this temperature, the gas becomes liquid and has higher density. Liquid biogas is considered to be one of the most climate-friendly fuels. The problem is that, so far, there aren’t many filling stations that offer LBG. And as long as there are no filling stations, there are also no hauliers that are prepared to replace their fleet of vehicles with trucks powered by this fuel. “It’s a chicken and egg situation. Someone has to go first. And so we decided to start construction before the market existed,” said Mikael Antonsson. But building biogas stations is not a straightforward process, especially not initially. Investment support is needed to begin with, as otherwise it will not be financially viable. A biogas filling station is considerably more expensive to build than one for diesel. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is offering financial support that can be applied for, known as the Climate Leap, but the procedure is complicated and requires expertise to complete. Anders Hjort and his co-worker Marita Linné at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute have formulated the applications to the authorities and managed the contacts with them. According to Mikael Antonsson, leading-edge expertise is required to conduct the necessary discussions and dialogue with the authorities.
“Interest in liquid biogas is increasing dramatically. It’s a kind of ‘Greta effect’. The only thing hindering our expansion now is the fact that it can take a long time and be difficult to find land to build the stations on.” Mikael Antonsson, area manager for heavy traffic at Gasum
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IVL SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
