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Biogasmax: Lille sets the trend
As a result of the European R&D programme Biogasmax the French city of Lille produces biogas for buses in an organic waste treatment plant. With this project Lille was also one of five cities to enrol in the Trendsetter Europe programme, which features 54 best practices in the field of sustainable mobility. The plant became an example for other municipalities. But following suit can prove difficult.
Lille Metropole already had a pilot project producing biogas from sewage sludge. Within Biogasmax and with Trendsetter’s funding of preparational studies and evaluation, Lille developed a full scale Centre for Organic Recovery. It is part of the Lille Urban Area Mobility Plan towards a 100 percent clean public transportation by 2011.
Photos: LMCU / Commuanité Urbaine de Lille
First of its kind
The centre is the first of its kind in France and will be producing 4 million NM3 biogas from organic waste by the end of 2008. The city will then have 100 biogas buses in addition to its already existing fleet of natural gas-powered buses.
Conveniently, the bus depot is next to the plant. To meet the goal two additional bus depots have opened in the adjacent communities Sequedin and Wattrelos.
The city government provided most of the required € 75 million for the entire project.
Biogasmax
Biogasmax is a European project for sustainable development with demonstration projects in Lille (FR), Rome (IT), Stockholm and Göteborg (SE), and Torùn and Zielona Gora (PL). These cities – and hopefully other cities that follow in their tracks – prove that high quality renewable energy can be produced from organic waste.
Biogasmax projects focus on:
- Production of biogas from various types of waste
- Upgrading of biogas to a high-quality fuel
- Distribution for transport and injection into natural gas grids
- Use in vehicles to increase the number of biomethane-fueled vehicles.
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An attempt to follow Lille’s example Haarlem, a city of 147,000 inhabitants in the Netherlands, took an interest in upgrading biogas. A group of representatives visited Lille and Haarlem joined Biogasmax.
Tax incentives
Peter Tromp. Photo: Gemeente Haarlem
Peter Tromp is with the environmental department Haarlem. He related how the city tried to follow in Lille’s footsteps: “Funding was arranged, we even came first out of 100 competing projects, and we had already attended the first Biogasmax meeting.” But suddenly, as of 1 January 2005, the Dutch Ministery of Economic Affairs abandoned the policy of tax incentives on biogas. “Probably because of the relatively small volume”, said Tromp. “The result? It became financially more attractive to combust biogas to produce green electricity instead of upgrading it to what we call ‘green gas’. And the use of green electricity ís stimulated by the government. “We have by now convinced many parties that green gas can be valuable in households, not instead of but as well as green electricity. But government stimulation remains necessary. And even if tax incentives return, industries are now very much aware that any political change can mean renewed abolishment of tax credits.”
Latent membership Lille may have set the trend, but inspite of Haarlems attempts the Dutch city is still unable to follow suit. However, Haarlem has set a new goal: to become a climate neutral municipality by 2015. Its industries are supposed to follow Haarlem’s lead and be climate neutral by 2030. If you cannot follow a trend, set one of your own. |
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