Biogas creating the future
Carbon-dioxide-neutral and locally produced We need to limit our dioxide emissions. For many years this has been the most important issue, in order to put a stop to climate change. We are also aware that fossil fuels are a limited resource. The solution is renewable energy options. We need energy that is carbon-dioxide-neutral and compatible with the environment. If it is locally produced, that is a major bonus. The final item on our wishlist is that it should be flexible. Imagine a form of energy that can be used for heating, as a fuel for vehicles and in industrial processes. Imagine biogas. it s about the future
Starting today you can be part of this Renewable gas Biogas is a renewable gas. It contains methane, which is formed when biological material is broken down by microorganisms in an oxygen-depleted environment. Methane is the energy-rich component of both biogas and natural gas. Producing biogas is quite easy. In Sweden there are well over 200 biogas production plants and the number is growing. The potential is significant. Production could largely meet Sweden s demand for vehicle fuel, possibly 70 TWh. As already mentioned, this energy comes from within Sweden. It does not need to be imported. On the contrary, it solves a national waste problem. Biogas can be produced from raw materials such as sewage slurry, manure and energy-rich waste such as abattoir and vegetable waste. The advantage is a carbon-dioxide-neutral ecocycle. The carbon dioxide that is given off when biogas is burned is re-absorbed into vegetation, which needs it in order to grow. The vegetation becomes food and the waste becomes biogas. And the cycle starts again.
Vehicle gas Apart from hydrogen, biogas is the fuel that gives the lowest emissions of carbon dioxide and particles of all the fuels currently on the market. Today, biogas accounts for half of all the vehicle gas we sell. You can even choose to fill up with nothing but biogas. We call that product vehicle gas 100. Heating The gas burns with a clean, clear flame. No more soot and slag in boilers and other equipment, so the work environment is cleaner and the plant lasts longer. We have started supplying biogas to local authorities and housing companies. So far, the scope is limited, but it is growing. Here there are two possible solutions. Either the customer chooses 100 percent biogas, or we agree on a gradual increase in the proportion of biogas in the natural gas deliveries. Industrial processes Just like natural gas, biogas can be used to increase the efficiency of drying installations and ovens. This form of gas offers high combustion quality and controllability. We are not there yet, but we know that there is an interest and look forward to increased biogas production capacity.
Biogas benefiting you and the environment Carbon-dioxide-neutral energy Renewable Locally produced Clean and energy-efficient Efficient production There are two main ways of producing biogas. The simplest is a composting plant. This is a relatively small installation which can be built at treatment works and on farms. Organic material can be composted under controlled conditions in an airtight composting chamber. Where the raw material is clean, as with abattoir and vegetable waste, the residue from the process can often be used as a high-grade fertiliser and soil improver. The other method is thermal gasification of wood fuels and waste products that contain carbon. A gasification plant is a large industrial facility. Distribution A major advantage of renewable biogas is that it can be distributed in the same pipe as other gases, so there is no need to transport it by road. The gas is sent directly from the production plant to the user via a pipe-based distribution system. Biogas can be mixed with natural gas and both these energy gases can co-exist in the gas grid in the south-west of Sweden. It would be possible to build small local grids separate from the main gas grid. The alternative is mobile gas stores which are moved by lorry. Advantages Biogas is a renewable, carbon-dioxide-neutral energy source whose contribution to the greenhouse effect is minimal. It saves raw material. By processing waste in a composting chamber, we deal with a waste product that would otherwise have to be disposed of in some other way. It is energyefficient. For example, if crops are used to produce biogas, one hectare can yield twice as much energy as it would if the raw material were used to produce ethanol. Biogas reduces the need to import energy. The customer gets a clean form of energy, with low emissions, which is easy to control and which can be distributed as required.
Does not this sound like a good idea? We create an energy solution from a waste problem
E.ON Gas Sverige AB SE-205 09 Malmö T +46 40 25 50 00 www.eon.se Produktion Silfverström & Partner, Tryck Koloriten, Helsingborg 11.2008