Biogas has been used as a transportation fuel in Sweden for over two decades and the technology for production, distribution and use is now established at a commercial scale in the more heavily populated areas of the country. Despite this and an underutilized domestic feedstock potential from waste and energy crops, the use is still limited in comparison to other established renewable transportation fuels such as HVO and FAME. Why is that so?
The project Biogas in the transport sector – An actor and policy analysis, carried out within the f3 and Swedish Energy Agency collaborative research program Renewable transportation fuels and systems wants increase the knowledge about the conditions for biogas development in the transport sector by presenting, discussing, and analyzing the views from actors involved in biogas production and use of biogas in transport. Another objective is to provide insights about policy instrument that promote and may promote biogas development, considering – but not limited to – the actors’ perspective. The project has been carried out as a case study of the Stockholm region, with interviews with key operators along the biogas value chain.
In the project report, the major identified obstacle for a continued development of biogas in the transport sector was identified as the the unstable policy instruments that affect biogas. The policy instruments are directed towards all parts of the value chain from production and distribution to use, but currently, the interviewees see the policy instruments directed toward the demand side as the most crucial. Examples of policy instruments that are seen as unpredictable have been the premiums on new cars and vehicle tax reductions that are decided about in accordance with the current definition about what will be qualify as an environmental car. Another example is the reduced fringe benefit taxes provided for environmental cars for which the decisions have been taken every second year.
Access the project deliverables via the project site.