March 30, 2023. Biomethane is the solution that allows heavy transport fleets to decarbonize immediately. This is one of the main conclusions of the webinar organized by Gasnam-Neutral Transport in which the pioneers in the use of this renewable gas in transport have shared their experiences.
The Zaragoza Area Transport Consortium, EMT Madrid, HAVI Spain, the Commonwealth of the Pamplona Region and Naturgy have revealed that the country’s high biomethane production potential (163 TWh/year, equivalent to 45% of the national demand for natural gas), the existence of a network of stations and the supply of vehicles make this renewable energy a real and cost-efficient solution to decarbonize heavy transport.
During the conference, the importance of the recent start-up of the issuance of Guarantees of Origin was underlined, a mechanism that guarantees the renewable origin of gas and which, in the words of the General Secretary of Gasnam, Eugenia Sillero, “is about a milestone that will serve to promote the penetration of renewable gases in transport and that the park of more than 32,000 vehicles, mostly heavy, that already circulate in our country become carbon neutral units”.
Among the success stories presented during the event, the one of the Commonwealth of the Pamplona Region (MCP) stands out, which, seven years ago, launched a pilot project in order to purify the biogas from the Arazuri water treatment plant to convert it into biomethane and use it in three buses of the Commonwealth fleet and two waste collection trucks, which became the first heavy vehicles in Spain powered by renewable gas. Currently, the MCP has a fleet of 13 vehicles that, since last year, have been running on biomethane with guarantees of origin. Its commitment to biomethane is so determined that, by 2035, the MCP wants to have a carbon-neutral fleet, of which more than 60% will work with the biomethane produced at its facilities.
Freight transport also sees biomethane as an opportunity to minimize its emissions compared to traditional fuels. An example of this is HAVI Spain, which has a fleet of more than 50 trucks that runs on natural gas and is now refueling with biomethane at the station they have at their facilities in Esparraguera (Barcelona), which allows them to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 90% compared to diesel.
