Biogas facility for HGVs opened at Junction 14 on M7

A new bio compressed natural gas refuelling station commissioned at Junction 14 on the M7 is the sixth public station to become operational in the country, writes Brian Byrne. The facility will supply biomethane produced locally in Nurney, Co Kildare by Green Generation, using local food and farm waste. 

BioCNG offers a cleaner alternative to diesel, reducing emissions from HGVs in the road transport sector, which accounts for more than a fifth of  Ireland's total greenhouse gas emissions. The Junction 14 station facility is provided by Gas Networks Ireland.

Of the 3,008 HGVs sold in Ireland so far this year, 59 were gas powered, most of them Scanias. Albeit from a low base, the trend is quite sharply upwards.

Pictured at the official opening of the new station by James Lawless TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport and at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, are Martin Heydon TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Fiona O'Loughlin, Donal Fitzpatrick, Director, Lidon Group which manages Junction 14, David Kelly, Director of Customer and Business Development, Gas Networks Ireland, and Liam Fitzpatrick, Director, Lidon Group. 

HVO pumps now at six Certa forecourts

Certa has launched HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) pumps at three more of its forecourts bringing the total of HVO-ready Certa outlets to six, writes Trish Whelan. These are located in Maynooth in Kildare, Dundrum in Dublin, and Ballyhaunis in Mayo. They join the existing three in Liffey Valley in Dublin, Lee Tunnel in Cork, and Trim in Meath. 

HVO is a new second generation, low-carbon biofuel that serves as a direct replacement for regular diesel for fleet, plant and machinery equipment in addition to passenger cars. It can also be mixed with diesel in any ratio. Certa say the performance of diesel engines using HVO is almost the same to when they are fuelled with diesel, and there’s no need for vehicle or engine modifications. HVO is identified at fuel pumps through the use of a pink nozzle. 

Diesel has bounced back this year with 1 in 4 cars sold here now a diesel. Well over half of Skoda’s sales have been diesel-powered this year which is a 30pc increase on last year. It means Skoda is the biggest supplier of diesel cars in the Irish market. 

HVO is produced using waste plant-matter and hydrogen and can result in a 90pc net reduction in C02 emissions. Owners of non-Skoda vehicles are advised to confirm with their manufacturer or dealer concerning HVO compatibility prior to use of the fuel.

 

HVO fuel promotion for Skoda diesel buyers

Buyers of Skoda diesel cars during March will receive vouchers up to a value of €500 for alternative fuel HVO, writes Brian Byrne. The promotion is with fuel supplier Certa, who are currently upgrading their 41 forecourt outlets to provide HVO.

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil is a low-carbon biofuel which can replace or be mixed with regular diesel fuel without needing any modifications to engines. It is made in a process involving waste plant-matter oils and a hydrogen catalyst. Proponents claim it cuts greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90pc.

The Skoda promotion provides vouchers of €250 or €500 to customers, depending on the diesel model bought. The company, a part of the Volkswagen Group, says all diesel cars produced by Skoda since 2021 are HVO-compatible. For current owners of diesel cars, an online check here will inform them if their car is compatible.

Certa operate unmanned 24/7 pay at the pump forecourts, with HVO currently available at their outlets in Liffey Valley in Dublin, Lee Tunnel in Cork and Trim in Meath. Certa are planning to have seven more forecourts HVO-ready by the end of this year, in Dundrum, Tallaght and Finglas in Dublin, Maynooth in Kildare, Letterkenny in Donegal and Athlone and Mullingar in Westmeath. HVO pumps are recognisable by pink nozzles.

Pictured are John Donegan, Brand Director at Škoda Ireland, Ciara Breen, Marketing Manager at Škoda Ireland, Andrew Graham, Managing Director at Certa and Laura Byrne Head of Sustainable Fuels at Certa. 

   

Mazda exploring biodiesel as another carbon-neutral fuel

While the move to electric cars continues inexorably in Europe, Mazda in Japan is continuing its 'multi-solution' strategy for automotive powertrains, writes Brian Byrne.

The Mazda2 Bio shown here is a test vehicle for a next-generation biodiesel created using biomass such as plants and micro-algae. It's called Susteo and is a combination of micro-algae and used cooking oil.

The carbon-neutral premise is that plants and microalgae absorb CO2 when they are growing and therefore the total amount of the climate heating gas is zero even after use in the car's engine.

In Japan, a commercial plant to mass produce such biodiesel is expected to be open in 2025. Susteo is used by the Mazda Spirit Racing Team.

Acknowledging the rapid global shift towards battery EVs, Mazda says many questions still remain remain, such as whether the electricity used to power these vehicles is generated from eco-friendly sources, and are the source materials used in the manufacture of the batteries sustainable and environmentally friendly? Nations where electricity is yet to be readily available to everyone will also need alternative solutions to EVs. 

Audi invests in sugar to gasoline startup

Audi has invested in a Paris-based startup company that says it has found a cheaper way of making biofuels, writes Brian Byrne.

Global Bioenergies uses genetic engineering to cut down the expensive distillation step in the process. It has also developed a way of making petrol directly from sugar and other renewable sources, rather than making ethanol for addition to gasoline.

In a normal fermentation process, ethanol begins to kill off the active yeast once it reaches about 12 percent alcohol. Global Bioenergies has developed a special bacteria to produce a isobutene gas that bubbles out of solution. The proportion never reaches the toxic level in the fermentation process and the bacteria can last much longer. The gasoline is then made from the isobutene.

Audi has a history of investing in alternative fuel processes, as part of its effort to improve its global CO2 footprint.

Lab breakthrough in biofuels

Amid some level of controversy that producing biofuels pushes up the cost of food because farmers switch to the more lucrative related cash crops, scientists have developed a system where micro-organisms produce sugar using photosynthesis—converting the energy from the sun, writes Brian Byrne.

The pilot systems developed by New Jersey-based Proterro Inc have shown that sugar can be produced at a third of the current cost of production, and at 10 times more per acre than the current most efficient manner, sugarcane. The researchers expect to be able to triple this rate.

Scaled up, the sugar would be produced inside closed transparenr containers, and the cyanobacteria grown on a fabric that requires a trickle of water to sustain them.

Biofuel move 'shortsighted'

The withdrawal of tax support on biofuel is 'shortsighted', the President of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry says.

Speaking at last week's Annual DInner of SIMI, Eddie Murphy of Ford Ireland said the move betrayed 'a lack of belief' in a biofuel industry here, and made the extension of VRT relief on biofuel-compatible vehicles 'ineffectual'.

He also welcomed the extension of the VRT relief on hybrids, and also said the Irish motor industry is playing its part in the exploitation of Ireland's green-tech potential by embracing the concept and infrastructure for electric vehicles.

"The really exciting eCar programme can be a template for other countries," he said.

Ireland 'losing opportunities' in fuel

Ireland has allowed opportunities to pass by in terms of producing fuel for transport in a sustainable way.

That's the view of Michael Moroney, Chairman of the Irish Motoring Writers Association, who says we have, as an agricultural country, the capacity to combine sustainably food and fuel production.

Speaking at the recent Continental Irish Car of the Year 2011 Awards, which are organised by the IMWA, he said that by going 'headlong' into electric cars, we are ignoring other opportunities where we could generate carbon savings and cost efficiencies. "We could do this while supporting indigenous employment and a clean environment," he said.

Noting that electric vehicles will arrive in numbers on Irish roads during 2011, he said that as a green-driven initiative across Europe, it is to be 'broadly welcomed', but the reality is that less than 5 percent of new cars will be electrically powered by 2020, according to all estimates.

"We have given little support to the opportunity to blend waste recycling with energy production in a practical way even though we have led world research on the subject. This means more to us because we are rated as the highest distance drivers in the world, averaging 20,000km per annum, while still importing 99 percent of our liquid transport energy supplies."

He said it was 'sad' that the Four Year Plan produced by the Government had sought the soft option of doubling carbon tax. "This is another €330m penalty on the motorist, and that’s before the VRT changes due in 2013," he concluded. "Let us hope that a refocusing of our national strategies will allow our new policy makers to develop a broader outlook."

Biomass to fuel gets more efficient

The biomass to fuel idea gets more efficient with a start up company's work, as detailed in Technology Review.

The system uses a catalyst to break down biomass such as trees into the components of petrol.

The company will set up a pilot plant next year, and is targeting to compete with oil at $60 a barrel.

'Biofuels harm' claim

The European Commission is being taken to court over its refusal to release information alleged to show that biofuels do more harm than good.

A coalition representing green groups throughout Europe, including the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) in Britain, wants the European Commission to release 140 documents which detail the negative environmental impact of widespread biofuel use in the EU.

The lawsuit is being brought by ClientEarth, Transport & Environment (an umbrella organisation representing the ETA and others), the European Environmental Bureau, and BirdLife International. The group alleges several violations of European laws designed to promote transparency, democracy, and legitimacy in EU policy-making.

The controversy over biofuels centres on indirect land-use change (ILUC) -- the release of greenhouse gas emissions when forests and other natural areas are converted into cropland to replace those croplands lost to biofuel production.

European law requires renewable sources to meet 10% of transport needs by 2020 -- a target which will be met in large part through the use of biofuels despite questions over their environmental impact.

Biofuels push

Transport fuel suppliers will be required to provide 4% of all fuels in the form of biofuels according to new regulations announced by the minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Eamonn Ryan.

The minister said the move was partly to insulate Ireland in case of an oil 'shock' from traditional sources of supply, but would also reduce the country's CO2 emissions.

He added that the percentage would be ramped up as biofuels technnology improved.

He also claimed the initiative would facilitate the development of a green fuels industry here.

Biofuel breakthrough

While the limelight seems to have shifted of late from biofuels, in favour of electric technology developments, research is ongoing to get more efficient methods of extracting biofuels from less food-sensitive sources.

This latest breakthrough looks promising. From Technology Review.