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Biogas can be cleaned to remove impurities and upgraded to pure biomethane. It can then be used as a renewable transport fuel in vehicles designed to run on compressed natural gas ( CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG). Biogas is eligible for support under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. The greenhouse gas savings of biomethane fuelled vehicles can be significant. Methane fuelled vehicles can also have extremely low emissions of local pollutants, including NOx and particulates (PM2.5 and PM10) when compared to modern petrol and diesel vehicles.
There are currently few biomethane or CNG vehicles in the UK, and infrastructure to supply biomethane road fuel is sparse. Other countries, for example Sweden and Germany, have invested heavily in supply chain infrastructure and have biomethane strategies. There are only around 15 CNG or LNG refuelling sites in the UK compared to around 800 in Germany.
Organisations Promoting Biomethane as a Road Transport Fuel
Biomethane Transport Forum
The Biomethane Transport Forum is a UK-based networking community of organisations from the private and public sectors with interests in the development of biomethane as a road transport fuel. They have information on fuelling infrastructure, vehicles and case studies of successful biomethane projects. Membership of the forum is free and open to all and members can also access a database of technical reports, policy documents, news updates, events and articles related to biomethane activities in the UK and overseas.
MADEGASCAR
The European project MArket DEvelopment for GAS driven CARs (MADEGASCAR) runs until January 2010 and aims to increase the number of energy efficient and alternative fuelled vehicles in European countries. The project addresses both supply and demand. It aims to strengthen the supply and distribution infrastructure for biogas, biomethane and natural gas, as well as develop the market for gas driven vehicles by addressing target groups at the demand side.
The main target groups for the project are: fleet managers of companies and public organisations, private car owners, suppliers of fuel, car dealers and manufacturers and decision makers.
Biofuel Cities
Biofuel Cities is a European partnership that supports broadscale application of liquid and gaseous biofuels including biomethane. The partnership is relevant to potential and actual end-users of biofuels, for example local governments and commercial end-users; businesses in the entire biofuels supply chain, from feedstock providers to investors to the vehicle industry; researchers, national and supra-national government representatives and standardisation bodies, and of course associations, non-governmental organisations and the media active in the biofuels sector. Participants benefit from: up to-date information on, and easy access to, biofuel projects and actors in the EU; access to tested know-how and good practice; tools for finding funding, investment, and project partners; links to market information, e.g. fuel prices, feedstock, vehicles; exchanges of experience with peers as well as with other stakeholders; opportunities to influence policies and criteria, especially at the EU level.
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