Biomethane project in Gothenburg approved by the EU commission

The EU commission’s state support enquiry has been completed with a positive outcome and the Swedish Energy Agency can now grant 222 million SEK to the GoBiGas-project. The GoBiGas-project is a large investment in production of renewable methane by thermic gasification of biofuels and low-quality forestry material.

Anders Lewald, head of the Transport Unit at the Swedish Energy Agency, welcomes the news from the EU Commission: “Commercialisation of the gasification technology, particularly regarding production of biomethane will now get the chance to take the next step in the development”.

The gasification plant will be built in two phases; the first phase will be put in operation at the end of 2012. The second will be implemented after an evaluation of the first phase. The project is a collaboration between Göteborgs Energi and E.ON.

“We have to be able to handle the climate threat as well as continue to use different means of transportation. This is why it is important that Sweden invests in development of second generation biofuels, contributing to lower the climate impact of the transport sector” says Maud Olofsson, Minister of Enterprise and Energy, in a press release issued from the Swedish government.

GoBiGas is the second project receiving a grant within the call for proposals regarding second generation biofuels and other energy technologies issued form the Swedish Energy Agency at the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009. The first project granted was Volvo Cars development of an electric vehicle, C30 BEV.

Projects that are still waiting for the state support inquiry are:

• Chemrec AB’s project which aims to extract biofuels from black liquor
• Södra Cell AB’s project of a full-scale demonstration of the LignoBoost concept
• Seabased Industry AB’s project to demonstrate a full-scale wave power plant

Contact:
Anders Lewald, head of Transport Unit, Swedish Energy Agency, phone +46 16-544 20 60