In brief

The Dutch utility Gasunie recently decided to convert a 60-kilometre natural gas pipeline between the Dutch towns of Emmen and Ommen to transport regional biogas into the Gasunie network from the beginning of 2024. This is necessary because more and more biogas is being produced in the Netherlands. Among other things, this is in line with the goal of the climate agreement, which calls for two billion cubic metres of green gas to be produced by 2030. The only problem is that this increasing amount of biogas is causing more and more bottlenecks in the regional pipelines through which the various producers want to transport their green gas. Since an existing Gasunie pipeline can now be used for the transport, the impact on the surrounding area and for local residents is very small. Only a few changes to existing Gasunie valve points and connections to the regional networks are necessary to realise the new 60-kilometre biogas pipeline.

UK-based CNG Fuels is acquiring a majority stake in Renewable Transport Fuel Services Limited (RTFS), creating ReFuel, a new holding company, and creating one of the largest fully integrated suppliers of biogas for heavy-duty transport in Europe. This acquisition is expected to help meet the rapidly growing demand for biogas. CNG Fuels currently has ten filling stations in operation, providing low-CO2 transport in the UK – from Inverness to Cornwall. Three more CNG refuelling stations are under construction and four more will be completed by the end of the third quarter of 2023. Most of the sites are owned by the successful joint venture with Foresight Group, CNG Foresight. The 10 existing refuelling sites can refuel around 5000 high-mileage trucks per day, and the new sites will bring the total capacity to around 8500 trucks per day by the end of the year. “Running trucks on biogas is now ‘business as usual’ for fleet operators. CNG-powered trucks are being used en masse in the UK as fleet operators recognise biogas as the most cost-effective and lowest CO2 alternative fuel to diesel available today,” explains Philip Fjeld, CEO of ReFuels and CNG Fuels. “In 2022 alone, we have seen a 62 per cent increase in biogas volumes delivered compared to 2021, and we expect to exceed this growth rate in 2023. Acquiring a majority stake in RTFS will enable us to become a fully integrated supplier of 100 per cent sustainable and renewable biogas – from farm to tap.”

Mazda is expanding its commitment to the use of CO₂-neutral next generation biomass-based fuels. The Japanese automaker has joined the Research Association of Biomass Innovation for Next Generation Automobile Fuels (Rabit). This research association was established in July 2022 and in addition to Mazda, its members include Eneos Corporation, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Subaru Corporation, Daihatsu Motor Co Ltd, Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Tsusho Corporation. The association promotes research into the use of biomass as well as efficient production of bioethanol fuel for cars. This strategy fits seamlessly into Mazda’s multi-solution approach to achieving CO₂ neutrality in vehicle powertrains, taking into account regional conditions. Hiroyuki Yamashita, senior principal engineer in charge of technology research at Mazda, said, ” CO₂-neutral fuels represent a promising option on the road to a CO₂-neutral society. Therefore, we will make great efforts to increase the potential of these fuels.” And Koichi Nakata, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Research Association adds, “Mazda has accumulated considerable knowledge and technologies in the field of CO₂-neutral fuels. So we are very pleased that the company is our new partner.” In Europe, Mazda has also been a member of the eFuel Alliance since 2021.

Stadtwerke Rostock believes in the great potential of biogas and has opened and commissioned its fifth biogas filling station in Dummerstorf. The facility is specifically designed to supply the region’s logistics industry. “I am delighted that today we can set a milestone in the direction of climate neutrality in freight transport,” declared the CEO of Stadtwerke Rostock Oliver Brünnich enthusiastically, in the presence of guests from the logistics industry and the mayor of Dummerstorf Axel Wiechmann. “With this new filling station, we are creating a new offer in the region in the future to meet the enormous demand from logistics companies for more climate-friendly fuels. We are giving transport companies the opportunity to reduce their emissions and achieve their climate targets,” the CEO of Stadtwerke Rostock continued. The biogas is largely obtained from organic waste and residual materials and offers a climate-friendly alternative to fossil fuels. The new filling station in the Ostsee industrial park at the A20/A19 motorway junction is designed in particular to meet the requirements for refuelling trucks or commercial vehicles. A total of about 15 articulated lorries can be refuelled at the two pumps per hour – around the clock. Of course, CNG-powered passenger vehicles can also fill up with biogas here.

CNH Industrial, one of the world’s largest suppliers of agricultural equipment and tractors, has massively expanded its alternative fuels offering by acquiring a majority stake in Bennamann, a UK expert in solutions for the capture, reuse and storage of fugitive methane emissions for energy use. Combined with CNH Industrial’s CNG and LNG vehicles, among others, Bennamann’s infrastructure provides the foundations for an even CO₂-negative system that fully supports a functioning circular economy in agriculture. “By consolidating our share of Bennamann, we are providing our customers with a comprehensive energy generation, storage and distribution service,” said Derek Neilson, President Agriculture at CNH Industrial. “This solution can transform farms into mini energy hubs that can meet their own energy needs, produce their own natural fertiliser and sell surplus gas on the open market.” CNH Industrial has pioneered sustainable alternative power solutions in agriculture for more than two decades, including the world’s first CNG tractor, the New Holland T6.180 Methane Power. Alternative fuels and electrification can improve a farmer’s operational flexibility, efficiency and even profitability, while significantly reducing their environmental footprint. The research showed that a farm with 120 cows using the methane capture technology developed by CNH Industrial and Bennamann can save the CO₂ equivalent of 100 Western European households – about 780 tonnes annually. Now that the prototype phase has been completed, the CNH Industrial-Bennamann solution will be installed on several farms over the next year.

Total Energies acquires Polska Grupa Biogazowa (PGB). With 130 employees in nine Polish regions, PGB is mainly engaged in the production of renewable heat and electricity from biogas produced from organic waste. The company owns and operates 17 production plants and one plant under construction with a total energy generation capacity of 166 GWh per year. PGB’s portfolio also includes a development pipeline of 23 projects. The acquisition of PGB increases Total Energies‘ biogas production capacity to 1.1 TWh and gives the company a leading position in the promising Polish market, which is the fourth largest potential for biogas and biomethane production in Europe, with an estimated potential of almost 100 terawatt hours (TWh). Total Energies is also entering the Polish solar market with the acquisition of six solar projects under development with a production capacity of 200 MW. The first solar farms are located in northern and western Poland and are expected to be operational by 2025. Total Energies is one of the market leaders in Europe with a biogas generation capacity of 1.1 TWh and aims to become a major international player through partnerships with market leaders such as Clean Energy in the United States.

Renewable gases such as biogas, biomethane and green hydrogen are gaining importance in Switzerland. In 2022, the share of renewable gases in the Swiss gas network was 7.7 percent. In the previous year, it was still 5.5 percent. The strong increase in domestic production from 419 GWh in 2021 to 476 GWh in 2022 contributed to this positive development. Four new plants were connected to the grid last year, including the first industrial plant for the production of biomethane from green hydrogen and CO₂ at the Regiowerk Limeco in Dietikon ZH. There are now 41 plants in Switzerland that produce renewable gas and feed it directly into the grid. In addition to domestic production, biogas imports also play an important role. These increased last year from 1830 GWh to 2135 GWh. Although this result is very positive, the potential of domestic renewable gas production is still underused due to a lack of framework conditions. To date, there is no government support for feeding gas into the grid; all efforts have so far been borne exclusively by the industry or gas consumers. In an environment of rising energy prices and an open market, this is becoming more difficult. In addition, more and more new hurdles are being placed in the way of imports. The Swiss Gas Industry Association VSG is therefore calling for measures to further increase the share of renewable gases. The gas industry wants to achieve 15 percent by 2030, 50 percent by 2040 and complete decarbonisation by 2050. Much more would be possible if Swiss policy were to consistently promote domestic production and not hinder imports.

In view of the plans presented by the European Commission for a revision of the EU regulation on future CO₂ fleet limits for heavy commercial vehicles, the technology group and supplier Mahle is advocating climate protection that is open to all technologies. “Commercial vehicles are a fundamental pillar of our prosperity,” explained Arnd Franz, Chairman of the Mahle Group Management Board and CEO of Mahle. “The diversity of applications requires individual technical solutions on the way to CO₂ neutrality. For this, we need innovative competition and not ideologically driven technology specifications.” Mahle is therefore concerned that the EU Commission is not considering renewable synthetic fuels as a solution. Particularly with regard to the existing fleet, potential for accelerated reduction of CO₂ emissions is being wasted here. Mahle already offers system solutions, for example in the areas of drive, thermal management and charging infrastructure. One of the latest product innovations is the new SCT e-motor (Superior Continuous Torque), which enables extremely high continuous power. In addition to the battery-electric drive, Mahle is also advancing its technologies for hydrogen use. In addition to innovative fuel cell technologies, the Group has presented a high-pressure impactor which, in combination with new engine components, enables highly efficient hydrogen engines.

Over the past 15 years, NGVA Europe has witnessed many changes in the transport industry, including the rapid development of gas vehicle infrastructure in Europe. Now NGVA is simply becoming Gmobility. General Secretary Matthias Maedge explains: “Gmobility stands for renewable gas in the transport sector. We don’t want to allow two-track for the future, there is nothing else but green and completely renewable gas for us.” Natural gas has to be replaced and this has to happen quickly in the transport sector. “With the new logo, we want to underline these ambitions and make it clear that we want to become CO2-neutral – and we want to do it with gas engines,” he adds. “Because we have two renewable fuels in biogas and bio-LNG, just like any other sustainable energy source, and powered by these, cars and also commercial vehicles are CO2-neutral on the road.” For him, it is clear that these are the best developed environmentally friendly fuels on the market and the fastest way to replace diesel in heavy-duty vehicles. “Under the new name, we look forward to continuing to work with the EU, industry and civil society to ensure that we realise the full potential of Gmobility,” says Matthias Maedge.

Since January, Hitachi Zosen Inova AG, Zurich, has been building another Kompogas plant for the dry fermentation of biogenic waste in collaboration with its long-standing Italian project partner Cesaro Mac Import. The project in the boot heel of Italy is making an important contribution to Italy’s strategy for improved waste management and will in future convert biowaste from the province of Brindisi into biogas. This will be used to generate renewable electricity from next November. Following various projects in northern and central Italy, the proven Kompogas technology is now also being used in the south of the country. At the heart of the utilization process is a plug-flow fermenter in reinforced concrete design. In it, 30,000 tons of biowaste (FORSU) and green waste collected separately in the province of Brindisi are mixed and degassed annually under anaerobic conditions by a horizontal longitudinal agitator with plow-shaped paddle heads. This produces about 10 million Nm³ of biogas annually, which is converted into electricity in a combined heat and power plant. The electrical energy generated can supply around 2200 four-person households in the region for a year.