07.07.2021
As part of the collaboration between the three companies: Scania, the shipping service provider Flixbus and the gas provider Gasum, the first biogas-powered tourist bus will operate on the Stockholm-Oslo route.
Feeding with liquid biogas (LBG) will reduce the impact on the climate, contributing to the elimination of fossil fuel combustion in bus services between the two Scandinavian capitals.
Currently, biogas is used in compressed form mainly in city buses, passenger cars, and light commercial vehicles. Until now, biogas has been less competitive for heavy, long-distance vehicles. In recent years, technology has been developed for cooling biogas to a temperature of approx. 160 degrees Celsius below zero – then it condenses and increases its energy density. This opens up the possibility of using biogas, e.g. for heavy transport (both land and sea).
The availability of biogas will increase rapidly across Europe – especially thanks to the decision made by the European Union to make refueling points along the main routes of the European road network (TEN-T).
– The first biogas-powered touring bus is probably the most sustainable long-distance passenger transport solution today – emphasizes Johan Ekberg, Scania’s director of customer service.
There are many advantages to using liquid biogas: it is not a fossil fuel, it is renewable, it is produced locally, and it also reduces pollutant emissions. By using locally produced liquid biogas as fuel in trucks and buses, operators are reducing their climate impacts by more than 90% – both for themselves and for their customers. Reducing particulate matter and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions will have a positive effect on overall air quality. Not only drivers and passengers but also society as a whole will benefit from noise reduction.
– Biogas is not only the fuel with the lowest CO2 emissions, but also solves local waste problems. Biogas creates jobs and restores the carbon and nutrient content of the soil. It is a universal tool for the circular economy – says Jonas Strömberg, director of sustainable development at Scania.
Today, 17% of the fuel in the European gas network is biogas. This share is growing rapidly, actively contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions. In the case of the Swedish gas network for vehicles, this percentage is as high as 95%.
– Biogas will be one of the most important tools for decarbonizing truck transport – especially for long-distance transport such as intercity and long-distance transport. In 2025, half of the European truck fleet can run on biogas – forecasts Jonas Strömberg.