Biomethane in transport
Biomethane is a renewable fuel produced through upgrading biogas and syngas to natural gas quality. Biomethane can meet all technical requirements set by the vehicle manufacturers and natural gas transportation system operators and –correspondingly –can be used everywhere in the same way as natural gas itself.
Biomethane is a very promising renewable source which usually punches below its own weight. Much of that is due to established misconceptions or a lack of awareness about the existence of renewable methane which comes from lesser known sources of renewable energy. Very often biomethane is overlooked in the energy debate. Nevertheless, there are several world leading producers of biomethane in Europe and there are many reasons to keep developing this sector.
This paper aims to serve as an introduction to biomethane in transport, going through its benefits and the challenges that lie ahead. The first chapter deals with Europe’s transport sector and the gas-powered vehicles within it, listing the benefits of using biomethane in transport with the following one giving practical examples of successful projects. An overview of the sector’s development is given in chapter 4 and lastly, current and future public policies are evaluated.