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Experience in Berne, Switzerland

UK National Biomethane ConferenceArthur Wellinger

Site Leader Berne

Nova Energie GmbH

arthur.wellinger@novaenergie.ch

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Biogasmax is a FP6 project of the EC

The two major objectives of the project are:

• Demonstration of large scale digestion and biogasupgrading units with waste material available in urban and close by rural areas

• Demonstrate and expand biogas fleets in publictransport

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Biogasmax includes 28partners and 6 demonstrationsites:

• Lille (FR), Coordinator

• Region of Göteborg (Swe)

• Stockholm (Swe), incl. Västeras

• Berne (Swi)

• Rome (IT)

• Zielona Gora and Torun (Poland)

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The Partners

BERNMOBIL Energie Wasser BernARA Region Bern (ARB)

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How does the Berne consortium work together?

15 year contract between BERNMOBIL and Energie Wasser BernBERNMOBIL agrees to exchange 70 diesel buses with gas bussesewb supplies filling station and delivers fuel (biomethane and natural

gas)ewb pays for the additional investment cost of busses out of its eco-

fund

Long-term contract between Ara Region Bern AG and ewbarabern upgrades enough gas for the operation of at least 30 gas

busses (1,3 GWh p.a.)ewb pre-finances the upgrading plantewb pays a lower price for 13 M Nm3 biomethane to pay the

investments back

The goal is that by 2011 all 70 buses are operated on biomethane

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Arabern: the production site

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Production targets

Goal: 2.6 Mio Nm3 Biomethane by 2011

Trend:Biogas

Mio Nm3/aIncrease

since 2006[%]

BiomethaneMio Nm3/a

2006 4'702’728

2007 5'239’398 11.4

2008 5'700’510 21.2 ca. 1.8

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Co-Substrates

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Upgrading with PSA

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Gas upgrading

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A label as highest standard of biomethane

Data bank

LCA

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The top label: naturemade

• Together with ok power the strongest label for green electricity

• it is supported by environmental and consumer groups

• it is highly accepted in the population and in industry

• it uses scientifically based evaluation methods

It was evident to use the label also for biomethane

On February 23, 2009 arabern was certified!

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The New BERNMOBIL CNG-Busses

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Source: INFRAS

Comparison Euro5 Diesel – Gas bussesCNG Diesel Remarks

NOx Elimination> 40 t p.a.

Elimination > 30 t p.a. 75 t p.a. without filter (INFRAS)

CO2 eq. Reduced by2000 t CO2 p.a. Same as today 1 m kg biogas (approx. 30 busses)

CO2-neutral, Biogas from WWTP

Noise approx. 63 dB approx. 66 dB

Ammonia (Urea) NoneWith low exhaust temperature existing

NOx BERNMOBILshare Reduced to 9% Reduced to 12%

BERNMOBIL’s share on traffic emissions in Bern before biogas busses was 15%

Particle mass PM10 irrelevant irrelevant Before gas, 1.07 t p.a. were emitted

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How far can a car run with different biofuels produced on 1ha of land

Comparison of different bio-fuels

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Bus filling stations

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Experience with gas bussesDuring 15 months the bus operation of 45 buses were carefullymonitored:

• In total, 26 different recurring problems were encountered.The sevenmost often occuring problems had nothing to do with gas

• In total, only 15% of the problems were due to gas as fuel (one per 2300km)

• Only one major problem was connected with gas: All cylinder heads had to be changed

In conclusion: The next 30 buses will not be ordered from Volvo for 2 reasons:

• There were (too) many little problems disturbing operation

• Volvo could not deliver Euro 5 buses in timeThe new buses will be delivered by Mercedes

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Development of vehicles

Personal cars Busses

Target Biogasmax Plus 100 70

Status end of 2006 334 32

Status end of 2007 647 45

Status end of 2008 950 45

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Increase of private cars

Campaign 1: Testimonials

Because our planet has no air conditioning

I reduce CO2 with IQ

I boroughed the world but I bought my NGV

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Increase of private cars

Campaign 2: Are you old fashioned?

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Promotion of private cars

80’000 flyers to households with special offer

24% reduction

12.5% reduction

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The fuel price helps as well !

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New public filling stations

The Biogasmax target was 7 filling stations in the Berne region

Achieved arePublic Private BRM

2008 8 1 3

2009 11 2 4

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Biogasmax in Berne:

A great success!

The end