Risks and opportunities when cities exchange biogas for electricity in public transport

What will happen with biogas when urban public transportation systems are electrified? The future images that dominate public discourse provide more answers than classic system analyses, according to a new study.

The cities’ fossil-free biogas buses are increasingly being replaced by electric bus fleets. Since major investments have been made in the biogas system, it is important to understand what effects increased electrification and a possible reduction in biogas use have on a system level.

The researchers have approached the issue by analyzing the discourse that appears in the media, reports and investigations. Electrification is described here as both desirable and inevitable. At the same time, it is said that biogas, given the right conditions, can be transferred to other markets.

The discourse analysis has been used to describe a possible transition path and to create a quantitative and dynamic model of the current biogas fleet in Stockholm’s inner city.

The researchers have also formulated eight recommendations to decision-makers (in Swedish) to give biogas opportunities to develop in new markets.

The project has been carried out within the collaborative research program Renewable transportation fuels and systems, financed jointly by the Swedish Energy Agency and f3 Centre.