Regional collaboration to boost biogas production in the north

Biogas is currently produced at the wastewater treatment plants in Luleå and Boden, where the biogas is upgraded to vehicle gas. The plants are operated separately but have the same catchment area for food waste and other digestible waste in Norrbotten County.

"There is an obvious risk of competition for access to food waste. But the most sustainable approach is to look at the facilities as a single unit. Through the project, we want to highlight opportunities for increased collaboration and more resource-efficient utilisation of the facilities, which will benefit all municipalities that supply substrates," says Karin Ågren of IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.

The need for vehicle gas for buses and lorries in the region is now greater than what is produced from available waste, and both plants are therefore investigating the possibilities of increasing production by working together.

In a few years' time, the transition to zero-emission vehicles will reduce the demand for vehicle gas. However, biogas will have other uses, which means that demand will continue, according to IVL.

The project has received support from the EU via the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and the Norrbotten region.

Lennart Håkansson

editor@northswedenbusiness.com