Anniversary edition

May 2010Gas Vehicles Report23European Association May ReportBiomethane: A key fuel for 2020 targetsManuel LageNatural Gas Vehicle Association EuropeNGVA EuropeGeneral ManagerWhen we talk about availablebiofuels, we refer to three differenttypes: bioethanol, biodiesel andbiomethane. Bioethanol is basicallyethylic alcohol that can be used as areplacement of petrol, somethingthat has already been done yearsago in countries like Brazil.It can also be mixed with petrol indifferent proportions, but thebioethanol composition is totallydifferent from petrol and thecombustion characteristics aredifferent.The same happens with biodiesel, orFat Acid Methyl Ester, a product thathas enjoyed a certain interest insome countries in Europe during thelast years. But now it is mainly usedonly as a 5% mixture with normaldiesel oil. Again, biodiesel hascombustion characteristics that canbe considered to a certain extentsimilar to mineral diesel, but withother significant differences like thecalorific power, fuel stability andlacquer formation, that limits its useas a full substitution of the mineraldiesel.On the other hand when we talkabout biomethane, we talk about thesame molecule than of natural gas:CH4, just methane. And this fact isextremely important becausebiomethane does not need to beblended with fossil based fuels beforeit is used in combustion engines.Biomethane is thus truly, on a standalone basis, an automotive fuel.Chemically both fuels, natural gasand biomethane mostly consist ofmethane, it is only the age and theorigin which differs.Now, when looking at the possibilitiesof biomethane production, we findother extremely good news; thereare several and differentiatedsources available:® Landfill gas, produced by theanaerobic fermentation of urbanwaste. This is a very interestingsource, because it is perfectlypossible to reach an easy andvirtuous circle: CNG trucks carrythe urban waste to the landfill, thelandfill produces biogas, the biogasis purified into biomethane and thenused to fuel the same garbagetrucks (or buses). And all this with aneutral CO2 balance.® Crops. As well with cropsbiomethane production has anadvantage: the efficiency by hectareis much superior (from 40 to 300%)than with other crops producingbioethanol or biodiesel. Also notethat biomethane, contrary to variousother biofuels, could be producedfrom any kind of crops, thus no needfor monocultures.® Biomass® AlgaeBiomethane is a renewable fuel, andbiomethane is the same fuel, havingthe same composition than naturalgas. The consequence is clear; wehave to increase the running park ofNGV’s to pave the way for thegrowing use of biomethane, a CO2neutral and renewable fuel.NGVA Europe is permanentlypromoting these great benefits ofbiomethane and natural gas togetherat the European level.NGVA Europe also would like tocongratulate our member and mediapartner, The GVR, for its 100 th issueof this worldwide recognised NGVexpert magazine.For any inquiries, please contactinfo@ngvaeurope.euWith my best regards,M. LageNGVA Europe… for sustainablemobility