The number of biogas trucks in Linköping more than doubled in February

That’s good news for sustainable mobility and the environment there

Heavy-duty vehicles such as cargo trucks and trailers are some of the biggest polluters running on the roads. That is why, at the end of February, the Municipality of Linköping was glad to report that things were looking brighter after the number of trucks that run on liquid biogas fuel and operated by local enterprises has more than doubled since the start of the year, jumping from 10 to 24.

This was possible due to the decision of a local transportation company to operate vehicles that can be fueled with locally produced biogas.

Biogas is produced from organic waste

This trend is encouraging because using compressed biogas for powering vehicles means emitting 95% fewer carbon emissions into the atmosphere. It is, therefore, a good development when local entrepreneurs become aware of this possibility and choose the more responsible and sustainable way to operate their businesses.

Central to this story, of course, is also the company that produces the liquid biogas fuel and gives this choice on the market for the more environmentally conscious company operators. In this case, it is Tekniska verken – the local utility company which also supplies electricity, heating, water and waste management services.

A little over a year ago its management also decided to start producing biogas fuel by using household and slaughterhouses food waste and thus also making a decisive step towards a more circular economy in that Swedish city. In June 2020, it opened a second biogas filling station in the municipality thus making this product more widely available, which has resulted in an increase in its consumption.

“This means a lot to us, not least in our effort to work with other actors in the region to create a more resource-efficient society, where sustainable transport is an important part of it. It is very fun that others see the great benefits of biogas, which is a fuel that closes the cycle, which is also produced locally here in Linköping,” said Erik Nordell, product manager for liquid biogas (LBG) at Tekniska verken.

Biogas is a mixture composed mainly of methane and other gases, which is then purified and cooled down to about -162 degrees Celsius in order to liquify and compress it. The biogas plant operating in Linköping is also the largest in Sweden and it has the capacity to supply up to 250 trucks.