In brief

The current energy crisis in Europe highlights the importance of a resilient energy system to protect its own citizens and economy. Diversification of supply routes and sources is crucial in this regard. And this is where LNG terminals come into play. According to the new LNG map and database from the Association of European Gas Infrastructure Operators (EIG), Europe could import up to 3000 TWh of liquefied gas through these terminals. LNG terminals give Europe access to gas resources on a global scale, reducing dependence on a limited number of suppliers. The LNG infrastructure currently used to transport gas could also accommodate sustainable BioLNG at almost no additional cost. There are currently 21 major terminals, including onshore and offshore, for LNG across Europe, with an import capacity of around 1920 TWh/year – 200 TWh/year of additional capacity is under construction and another 1200 TWh/year of capacity is still to be built by 2030.

At the last edition of Uniti Expo, the leading trade fair for the European service station and carwash industry in Stuttgart (D), the special show on alternative fuels met with great interest among the numerous trade visitors. It will therefore be offered again this year from May 17 to 19, 2022, with an enlarged area. In Hall 3, trade visitors from Germany and abroad will learn everything about LPG, CNG, LNG, hydrogen, biofuels, e-fuels and electromobility. In addition to manufacturers, industry associations will also present themselves at this special show. In addition, on Wednesday, May 18, from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m., Thomas Wullkopf, Markus Bäckström and Kevin Flint, for example, will discuss the status of implementation and practical findings in the implementation of alternative fuels such as CNG and LNG. After lunch, Sjur Haugen, Director – Product Quality and Development at Circle K, will explain the road to CO2 neutrality in road transport from a retailer’s perspective. And most importantly, don’t miss the presentation by Tobias Block, Head of Strategy and Content at eFuel Alliance e.V., on the role of e-fuels in future transport from 14:00 to 14:30.

Like the turbocharger, the so-called Comprex supercharger is a Swiss invention. The Comprex uses pressure waves in direct contact between the exhaust gas and the fresh air for turbocharging, whereas the turbocharger uses two turbomachines (turbine and compressor). In the 1980s, Comprex superchargers were used in diesel engines of Opel and Mazda models. But they had disadvantages: During cold starts, it was difficult to build up the pressure wave process, and during load changes, temperature-related effects led to emission and efficiency problems. In the meantime, engineers from the company Antrova AG in Stein am Rhein SH have further developed the supercharger. A brand new design called “Comprex 2.0” now reveals many advantages in Empa tests in combination with a CNG commercial vehicle engine. Supported by a small electric motor, it works smoothly in all conditions and a so-called cell rotor completely solves the earlier difficulties with temperature changes. Empa researchers found that the CNG engine with “Comprex 2.0” supercharger, in contrast to its turbo counterpart, already has an enormously high torque practically from idle speed, which on the one hand improves drivability and on the other hand, in combination with so-called Miller operation and an adjustment of the gear ratio, brings significant fuel savings. At the same time, the catalytic converter warms up six times faster, which also ensures better exhaust emission values. And finally, the Comprex also enables a high engine braking effect, so that a driver has to use the mechanical brakes of his commercial vehicle much less often.

The VCS Verkehrs-Club der Schweiz (Transport Club of Switzerland) has published a “car environmental list” at regular intervals up to now. In these lists, vehicles with CNG engines and biogas in the tank – both passenger cars and light commercial vehicles – have performed excellently and have repeatedly won podium positions. Now these lists are being replaced by the new eco-auto.info website. Here, too, cars and light commercial vehicles are rated according to environmental criteria and it is shown which models are the most climate-friendly. The comparison is independent and is updated continuously. Anette Michel, project manager at VCS Switzerland, says: “The offer is supplemented with the most important information on environmentally conscious vehicle purchasing, with news from politics and the market and with exciting technical articles on vehicles and environmental topics.” For the evaluation of vehicle models, eco-auto.info takes into account the emissions of the greenhouse gas CO₂, noise and, in the case of electric vehicles, the environmental damage caused by battery production. For models with combustion engines, air pollutants are also included in the assessment.

A collaboration between Scania and mobility provider Flixbus will see the first biogas-powered long-distance bus operate on the Stockholm and Oslo route. The bus, which runs on liquid biogas (LBG), will reduce climate impact and contribute to fossil-free transport between the two Nordic capitals. Biogas is currently used in compressed form mainly by city buses, cars and light commercial vehicles. Liquefied biogas cooled to about minus 160 degrees Celsius has a higher energy density and opens up the possibility of using biogas for, among other things, heavy goods transport, both by land and by sea. Liquid biogas has many advantages: It is free of fossil fuels, renewable, produced locally and reduces emissions. “This first biogas-powered long-distance coach is probably the most sustainable bus solution available today,” enthuses Johan Ekberg, Scania’s Head of Customer Operations. By switching to locally produced liquid biogas as fuel for long-distance trucks or buses, operators reduce both their own climate impact and that of their customers by more than 90 percent. “Biogas is not only the fuel with the lowest CO₂ emissions – it also solves local waste problems, creates local jobs and puts carbon and nutrients back into the soil. It is the Swiss army knife of the circular economy,” says Jonas Strömberg, Sustainability Director at Scania.

For years, the Swiss Study Forum for Mobile Propulsion Technology (SSM) has been concerned with the dissemination of knowledge about the research, development and application of the various propulsion technologies for road and off-road vehicles. In this way, the SSM, which was founded as early as 1929, wants to make an important contribution today and also in the near future to solving the great challenge of the upcoming change in drive technologies and CO2 reduction. On Wednesday, April 6, it therefore invites you to an exciting “Technology Forum” by teams between 15.00 and 17.00 (Click here for the public link). The topic: “Gas mobility and climate protection – does it fit?” After the welcome and introduction by Christian Bach (Head of Technology SSM and Head of Department Internal Combustion Engines at Empa), Andreas Hansen (Head of Services & Operations Planning at Energie Wasser Bern) will explain the use of biogas for company vehicles. Then Sabine Krummen (Head of Sustainability and Projects at logistics specialist Krummen Kerzers) presents LBG in the commercial vehicle sector. Before Manfred Obiltschnig (University of St. Gallen) analyzes the historical development of CNG mobility, its drivers and success factors. So if you want to learn more about gas mobility and its benefits in the fight against climate change, you should definitely make a note of this “Technology Forum” via teams on Wednesday, April 6!

CNG Fuels, the UK’s leading provider of renewable biogas for trucks, has opened the world’s largest publicly accessible biogas filling station in Avonmouth, near Bristol, England. The location, close to a major motorway interchange, is ideal for the ever-growing fleets of CNG-powered trucks on the road in the UK for Lidl, Royal Mail, Amazon and Warburtons, among others. Thanks to 14 high-speed fuel pumps, no fewer than 80 trucks can be refuelled per hour in Avonmouth. At full capacity, this could save 70 000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year! The world’s largest biogas filling station is part of CNG Fuels‘ nationwide network of eight renewable biogas sites to date. The company intends to build 12 more filling stations each year to meet the growing demand for biogas.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine is a fundamental turning point for Europe and the world. The war is upsetting, but the situation also requires comprehensive measures to be taken in order to be able to guarantee the supply of gas in the coming winter and to reduce dependence on Russian gas. Due to the Cartel Act and the lack of a Gas Supply Act, the hands of the Swiss gas supply have been tied until now, because agreements between companies are punished as anti-competitive. The gas industry welcomes the fact that the Federal Council, with its decision of 4 March, has created the preconditions for it to take joint action now. With 15 percent of final energy consumption, natural gas is an important energy source in Switzerland. The Swiss gas industry supports the Federal Council’s net-zero 2050 target and is already working towards it today. Thus, natural gas is to be successively replaced by renewable and climate-neutral gases, which include synthetic methane and hydrogen in addition to biogas. The big immediate challenge is to secure the supply for the winter of 2022/23. Preparations must be started now. The Swiss gas industry wants to reduce existing dependencies on Russian gas and become independent of it in the medium term. In doing so, the supply options must be more broadly based. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) can make an important contribution to procuring gas from all regions of the world, even if it is more expensive. Renewable gases also play a central role in the future gas supply. However, better framework conditions are needed to expand their production and use. This primarily involves promoting the production and feed-in of renewable gases in Switzerland through investment contributions or feed-in contributions. Only electricity production from biogas is still supported, which does not benefit the gas supply. The framework conditions in the cantonal energy laws must also be designed in such a way that biogas is recognised as a renewable energy in all cantons. Furthermore, imported biogas is still treated as natural gas by the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security. The Swiss gas industry therefore calls for a national register for guarantees of origin for renewable gases that can be networked with other countries, as well as clear rules for imports.

No less than 1064 CNG-powered trucks were recently ordered from Iveco by the American online giant Amazon for its European business! Of these, a first batch of 216 Iveco S-Way tractor units has already been delivered. A further 848 units will be handed over to partners across Europe from mid-2022, who will use them on behalf of Amazon. In this way, the online retailer, which offers the world’s largest selection of books, CDs and videos, came a big step closer to its vision of a completely sustainable transport fleet thanks to trucks powered by CNG. Amazon also used hundreds of trucks with CNG or even biogas in the tank in the USA to sustainably reduce the CO₂ emissions of its distribution fleet. Now it has ordered another 700 CNG trucks. The engines for these trucks will be supplied by the specialist Cummins. In addition, the vehicles will be equipped with fuel systems from the Vancouver-based company Westport Fuel Systems (WFS). The CNG trucks will be used to transport goods from Amazon warehouses to the company’s distribution centres.

Since 15 February, customers in the Netherlands have been able to fill up with bio-LNG at the energy giant Shell. Bio-LNG is an important step towards making heavy goods transport more sustainable, just like inland shipping. After all, electrification is difficult in these sectors in the short term, and Bio-LNG already offers a solution for decarbonisation here. Shell will supply bio-LNG in the Netherlands from the plant it opened together with Nordsol and Renewi in autumn 2021. Around 3.4 kilotonnes of bio-LNG can be produced there, avoiding CO_₂ emissions in the order of 13 million road kilometres. “Shell wants to offer the logistics sector a clean alternative together with its partners. This is a big step towards cleaner road transport,” says Marjan van Loon, President of Shell Nederland. Across Europe, the energy giant has 46 LNG refuelling stations and plans to expand the network to 80 sites by the end of 2022. By mid-2023, it also wants to be in a position to supply 100 per cent of the entire network in Germany (currently 25 filling stations) and the Netherlands (7 filling stations) with bio-LNG. Among other things, this will be made possible by Europe’s largest bio-LNG production plant in Godorf (Germany), the construction of which has just begun.