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Sweden has ambitions to phase out fossil fuels and significantly increase the share of biofuels it uses. This article focuses on Stockholm County and biogas, with the aim to increase the knowledge about regional preconditions. Biogas-related actors have been interviewed, focusing on the demand side. Biogas solutions play an essential role, especially regarding bus transports and taxis. Long-term development has created well-functioning socio-technical systems involving collaboration. However, uncertainties about demand and policy cause hesitation and signs of stagnating development. Public organizations are key actors regarding renewables. For example, Stockholm Public Transport procures biogas matching the production at municipal wastewater treatment plants, the state-owned company Swedavia steers via a queuing system for taxis, and the municipalities have shifted to “environmental cars”. There is a large interest in electric vehicles, which is expected to increase significantly, partially due to suggested national policy support. The future role of biogas will be affected by how such an expansion comes about. There might be a risk of electricity replacing biogas, making it more challenging to reach a fossil-free vehicle fleet. Policy issues strongly influence the development. The environmental car definition is of importance, but its limited focus fails to account for several different types of relevant effects. The dynamic policy landscape with uncertainties about decision makers’ views on biogas seems to be one important reason behind the decreased pace of development. A national, long-term strategy is missing. Both the European Union and Sweden have high ambitions regarding a bio-based and circular economy, which should favor biogas solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, practical biogas potential has been estimated in order to clarify the role of biogas in policy targets for renewable transport fuels in Sweden. The estimate of the Stockholm County biogas potential is based on a survey directed at key persons at sewage water treatment facilities, as well as official statistics, environmental reports and other sources. The results reveal that the practical biogas potential can meet the vehicle gas demand in Stockholm County by 2020, but that it may cover only 50% of the demand by 2030. The practical potential is estimated to be 604 GWh by 2020 and 689 GWh by 2030. Fossil gas, biogas from neighboring regions, and/or methane from woody biomass would thus be needed to meet the demand by 2030. The survey shows that digestion capacity exists at sewage water treatment facilities and that the availability of resources for biogas generation is low. Public participation is needed to improve food waste segregation and increase resource availability. Food waste can be co-digested with sewage sludge at sewage water treatment facilities. These results can guide the design of renewable transport fuel policies and one conclusion is that policy support should be directed at the supply rather than at the demand side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to verify whether natural gas is only a backup fuel against shortages of upgraded biogas or a threat to the Swedish vision of pursuing a vehicle fleet independent of fossil fuels. The paper uses Stockholm County as a case study to guide our analysis. The region not only concentrates the largest number of inhabitants in Sweden but also holds alone around 35% of the Swedish fleet of passenger cars using gas as fuel. The region's potential vehicle gas demands are 460 GWh by 2020 and 1202 GWh by 2030. The methodological approach relies on Network Theory to guide the numerical analysis of the vehicle gas supply chain in the region. Our results show that natural gas will keep on being an important resource and playing a vital role within the local vehicle gas supply chain but no longer as a backup fuel against upgraded biogas shortages. In fact, natural gas has become a price regulator responsible for vehicle gas attractiveness, especially for passenger cars in the region. As a result, phasing out natural gas could hamper future developments of biogas supply chain in the country, hindering the achievement of a green fleet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]