Introduction

Using local sources of biomass to produce biogas, the most environmentally friendly fuel for vehicles and heat production.

Objectives and target audience

One of the most important objectives was to get biogas production started in the municipality of Kristianstad to gain important environmental effects, seeing it from a holistic point of view.

Other objectives:
-    Local renewable energy production
-    Create alternatives to fossil fuelled vehicle transports
-    Create new job opportunities

Financial Resources and Partners involved

The organisations involved in the project are the municipality of Kristianstad, city administrations and the municipal companies C4 Teknik and KRAB.  Also farmers in the surrounding areas of Kristianstad and the public transport company Skånetrafiken play an important part.  Estimated investment cost is about 10-12 million € so far.

Process
Construction of:
-    One biogas plant for producing biogas. The plant produces biogas from different raw material (e.g. pasture, animal dung and animal waste).
-    Two special facilities for producing pre-treated biogas to use as vehicle fuel.
-    2 biogas filling stations in Kristianstad.
-    A grid, connecting production plants, pre-treatment facilities and filling stations

Introduction of:
-    CNG-buses in the city of Kristianstad
-    Other gas fueled vehicles within Kristianstad municipality as an organisation.

Results

•    The two biogas plants produce 47 GWh biogas every year.
•    15 GWh of the produced biogas is pre-treated and used as fuel in vehicles
•    The project made it possible for passenger vehicles and light transport vehicles to be fuelled by biogas and also larger transport vehicles as local and regional busses for public transport

Critical Success Factors / Challenges
The key issue for being successful with the biogas project in Kristianstad, is that the work with environmental matters within the municipality has been aimful and forward-looking during a longer period of time, also connected with strong political support. One way of transferring the concept to other regions is to look into further detail how this were done in Kristianstad, adapt it to suit the region in question and carry out the process.