Critical for general election winners to 'be robust' for AD and low carbon fuels, says ADBA
The UK’s Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) has called for greater government support for low carbon transport fuels such as biomethane, following the recent launch of Nottingham City Transport’s (NCT) £17 million (€19.8 million) double-deck ‘Bio-Gas’ bus fleet.
Running on biomethane produced from anaerobic digestion, Nottingham’s new Bio-Gas buses were manufactured by Swedish company Scania. According to ADBA, the UK’s anaerobic digestion industry has sufficient capacity to power half of the country’s bus fleet. In recent years biomethane has been increasingly used in buses and heavy goods vehicles in response to concerns over the cost of fossil-fuels and their negative impact on air quality and greenhouse emissions.
Charlotte Morton, chief executive of ADBA, said: “Scania’s new Bio-Gas buses are a great example of the effectiveness of biomethane as a low-carbon, low-cost transport fuel that can help to reduce the scandalous levels of air pollution we see in towns and cities across the UK, costing thousands of lives each year.
“Over the short to medium term, biomethane presents the only practical means of decarbonising heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), buses and non-road mobile machinery. While biomethane has the potential to power every HGV in the country and some pioneers have grasped this opportunity, far more support is needed from government to make it easier for others to follow their example.
“It’s critical that the new Government urgently delivers a robust response to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation consultation that concluded in January. Long-term support for AD is crucial for reducing emissions from the difficult-to-decarbonise transport sector and for improving air quality in our cities and towns. This is an obvious action for the Government to include in its air quality plan to save lives.”
Meanwhile, NCT engineering director Gary Mason said: “We are hugely proud of our new biogas buses. This is the largest order for gas double decks in the world and is the culmination of our extensive research into alternative fuels.
“When [biomethane] is used, emissions are 84% lower than their diesel counterparts, thereby making them – from ‘well to wheel’ – the greenest buses on the road. Our biogas buses will be cleaner, quieter, smoother and we’re encouraging everyone to come on down to the Old Market Square on the 19th May to experience them for themselves.”
