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Biogas Powered Passenger Train In Sweden

Following a European directive urging governments to promote biofuels and other renewable energy sources for transportation as replacements for petrol and diesel, Sweden has decided to take the bull by the horns.

Sweden has the world's first biogas powered train running of the 75 mile long coastal stretch between the cities of Linkoeping (South of Stockholm) and Vaestervik (Eastern Baltic). "Amanda" as the train has been named has been carrying passengers since the summer of 2005.

The biogas train is as environmentally friendly as trains can get. While electric trains are considered non-pollutant, they often draw their energy from unclean power sources.

And all of the current methods for generating electricity have their problems. Burning fossil fuels creates the majority of today's air pollution, which negatively affects air, water and land, which in turn affects our own health. Hydroelectricity, where large dams are used to create energy from water, destroys ecosystems and kills wildlife.

And generating power from the wind and sun only works when the sun is out or the wind is blowing, and wind turbines are often criticized for being ugly. So a renewable energy source which can also be stored relatively easily, like biogas, looks like the perfect solution.

Biogas is produced when organic materials decompose in the absence of oxygen - for example in landfill sites or anaerobic digesters. Fitted with two biogas bus engines, Amanda can carry up to 54 passengers at speeds of up to 80mph and has a range of almost 375 miles before refueling. The train is equipped with eleven canisters containing enough gas to run for 600 kilometers (375 miles) before needing a refill, and can reach a maximum speed of 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour". Biogas is made up of shredded plant materials and animal waste, which are then mixed with water in a tank. Once the waste has decomposed, a gas is formed that can be stored and used as fuel. In addition to the environmental aspect, biogas has the added advantage that it can be produced locally and supply is not dependent on imports. Biogas produced in anaerobic digesters consists of methane (50%-80%), carbon dioxide (20%-50%), and trace levels of other gases such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen sulfide.

The biogas used by the train is produced locally at the Vaestervik sewage treatment plant. In Linkoeping another plant uses waste products from a local abattoir to produce further biogas. The fat, blood, unwanted organs, and guts of about 30 cows stewed for one month are all that is needed to produce sufficient biogas to power the train to the other end of the line.

The train was developed by Svensk Biogas. A standard 24m long diesel powered train was converted by replacing the diesel engines with two 210kW Volvo GH 10 B biogas bus engines and adding gas storage cylinders to hold the biogas fuel. Development of the biogas train cost the company over 1 million Euro.

Diesel powered trains are currently 20% cheaper to run than biogas trains however as oil prices increase the environmental benefits of the biogas train will be joined by economical befits.

Currently 25% of all energy use in Sweden is derived from biomass and the country intends to become carbon free by 2050. All the buses in Linkoeping are already powered by biogas.

Trains are a relatively efficient way to move goods and people around, but cheap oil has meant that people and companies prefer the flexibility of cars and trucks. In the near future, we certainly won't have much of a choice to start using them more as long distance travel by road becomes increasingly expensive. Having them run on biogas is just making a smart choice even smarter.

The country, home to nine million people, currently has 779 biogas buses and more than 4,500 cars that run on a mixture of petrol and either biogas or natural gas, according to the Swedish environment ministry.

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Reference: 
http://www.treehugger.com 
http://www.greencarcongress.com 
http://www.reuk.co.uk

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