Biomethane and the environment- Why the car you drive matters
If you absolutely have to buy a new car, then please consider for the sake of our planet investing in a biomethane gas vehicle!
I have been recently very active in the food saving front. We are a small dedicated group of people who are always moving fast to save food. One member is an avid cyclist, but she is always looking to pick up food by car. I have helped her a few times. However, as a cyclist, I feel really bad after driving, as I spent fossil fuels to save food – a dead circle (as we say in Estonian). Most of the time, the car haul is enough for two people to haul with a bike.
There is another member in our group who owns a biomethane i.e. compressed natural gas vehicle. He said that this type of gas is renewable. I know that natural gas isn’t. I was a bit confused. Below you can read my little research on biomethane.
The most popular renewable energy sources are currently:
- Solar energy
- Wind energy
- Hydro energy
- Tidal energy
- Geothermal energy
- Biomass energy
His car uses biomass energy (compressed natural gas i.e. biomethane). And therefore indeed, is using renewable sources. The gas is made from the conversion of solid fuel. It means that plant materials become gas. Biomass fundamentally involves burning organic materials to produce electricity or gas. In this case, this does not include burning wood. And nowadays, this is a much cleaner, more energy-efficient process. It is possible to convert agricultural, industrial, and domestic waste into solid, liquid, and gas fuel. Biomass also generates power at a much lower economic and environmental cost.
What is biomethane or renewable natural gas?
Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) or Sustainable Natural Gas (SNG) or biomethane, is biogas that has been upgraded to a quality similar to fossil natural gas. It has a methane concentration of 90% or greater. Biogas is a gaseous form of methane obtained from biomass. By upgrading the quality to that of natural gas, it becomes possible to distribute the gas to customers via the existing gas grid within existing appliances.
Source: Wikipedia.org
The main problem why biomethane, i.e. compressed natural gas cannot be distributed faster is the cost and placement of fuel storage containers. This is the reason why the municipal government, public transportation vehicles were the most visible early adopters of it, as they can more quickly write off the money invested in the new (and usually cheaper) fuel gradually. In spite of these circumstances, the number of vehicles in the world using CNG has grown steadily (30 percent per year).
Biomethane is 100% environmentally friendly. It can replace natural gas wherever it is currently in use. This also includes compressed natural gas cars. The most exciting part is that the fossil fuels in the transportation section can be replaced with biomethane. Plus, the pricing is better as well!
Biomethane and emissions?
Compared to petrol and diesel, the whole emission of biomethane is smaller. The number of ash pieces and sulfur dioxide is barely visible.
The combustion of biomethane creates the following compared to petrol:
60% less SO2 (Sulfur dioxide), 50% less CO2 (Carbon dioxide), and 45% less NO2 (Nitrogen dioxide).
Aside from that, compressed natural gas is environmentally friendly. It’s also cheaper and takes you farther distances. Compare the distance and the cost with other common sources of fuel below.
Biomethane and Estonia
It would work best for smaller countries if their governments can develop the biomethane market. Let’s look at the case of Estonia, a small country on the coast of the Baltic Sea close to Finland. The current funding allows the country to build more than 20 biomethane stations and one production factory by the end of 2020. The state is subsidizing to promote the market in the transportation sector of every spent mWh (megawatt-hour).
In 2018, two production stations started in Estonia. The annual capacity of one plant is 6 million m3 of gas. Biomethane is maid mostly of wastewater sediment. The second plant can create up to 1,5 million m3 gas in a year. The matter of the production is manure and biomass.
During April, a month heavily affected by COVID-19, still, 6334 mWh of local biomethane was produced. 5224 mWh was made from wastewater sediment. 1110 mWh of animal manure, biomass, and leftovers of food manufacturers.
How to make biomethane?
The survey composed by the Development Foundation in 2014 in Estonia states that there are yearly resources to create up to 4,7 TWh biomethane. The raw material would be mostly biomass from the grasslands (83%) and the leftovers of the farming production (9,8%). But also biodegradable waste from the industry, landfill gases, and solid waste of the waste cleaners. Creating more options to make biomethane, creates a locally sourced supplier using local and raw materials.
Are there biomethane cars?
Several car manufacturers are offering biomethane suitable cars with CNG-motor. There are options for cars, service cars, buses, and trucks. Even in tiny Estonia, you can find different models. Wherever you are, I am sure the variety is much-much wider.
Here is a list of possible models by manufacturers:
- Škoda Octavia Combi
- Opel Astra (hatchback and Sports Tourer)
- Volkswagen Golf, Golf Variant and Caddy
- SEAT Leon, Ibiza and Arona
- Fiat Doblo
On top of that, Mercedes-Benz, MAN, Iveco, Scania, and Volvo offer natural gas-fueled cars and buses.
Here is a list of European CNG cars HERE.
Biomethane production – practical circular economy
Producing biomethane from the waste of the agriculture industry is an excellent example of a practical circular economy. Biomethane can be produced from everything that ferments. It can be manure, silo, cut grass, the top of the vegetables, restaurant food leftovers, etc. Also the production excess of dairy, bread, and meat industries. Basically, everything of organic-biologic origin, except wood.
And if you find that this is all too much for you, then please try composting at home. Check out our tips here!
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