The Berne consortium in Switzerland is working to increase the production and use of biomethane in transportation. The key partners include BERNMOBIL, which operates buses, Energie Wasser Bern, which supplies natural gas and biomethane as fuel, and ARA Region Bern AG, which upgrades biogas to biomethane. The goals are to replace 70 diesel buses with gas-powered vehicles fueled by biomethane and to produce up to 2.6 million cubic meters of biomethane per year by 2011. The biomethane is certified as sustainable and helps reduce emissions from transportation in Berne.

1. Experience in Berne,
Switzerland
UK National Biomethane Conference
Arthur Wellinger
Site Leader Berne
Nova Energie GmbH
arthur.wellinger@novaenergie.ch
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2. Biogasmax is a FP6 project of the EC
The two major objectives of the project are:
• Demonstration of large scale digestion and biogas
upgrading units with waste material available in urban
and close by rural areas
• Demonstrate and expand biogas fleets in public
transport
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3. Biogasmax includes 28partners and 6 demonstration
sites:
• Lille (FR), Coordinator
• Region of Göteborg (Swe)
• Stockholm (Swe), incl. Västeras
• Berne (Swi)
• Rome (IT)
• Zielona Gora and Torun (Poland)
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4. The Partners
BERNMOBIL
Energie Wasser Bern
ARA Region Bern (ARB)
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5. How does the Berne consortium work
together?
15 year contract between BERNMOBIL and Energie Wasser Bern
BERNMOBIL agrees to exchange 70 diesel buses with gas busses
ewb supplies filling station and delivers fuel (biomethane and natural
gas)
ewb pays for the additional investment cost of busses out of its eco-
fund
Long-term contract between Ara Region Bern AG and ewb
arabern upgrades enough gas for the operation of at least 30 gas
busses (1,3 GWh p.a.)
ewb pre-finances the upgrading plant
ewb pays a lower price for 13 M Nm3 biomethane to pay the
investments back
The goal is that by 2011 all 70 buses are operated on
biomethane 5

6. Arabern: the production site
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7. Production targets
Goal: 2.6 Mio Nm3 Biomethane by 2011
Trend:
Biogas Increase Biomethane
Mio Nm3/a since 2006 Mio Nm3/a
[%]
2006 4'702’728
2007 5'239’398 11.4
2008 5'700’510 21.2 ca. 1.8
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8. Co-Substrates
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9. Upgrading with PSA
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10. Gas upgrading
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11. A label as highest standard of
biomethane
LCA
Data bank
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12. The top label: naturemade
• Together with ok power the strongest label for green electricity
• it is supported by environmental and consumer groups
• it is highly accepted in the population and in industry
• it uses scientifically based evaluation methods
It was evident to use the label also for biomethane
On February 23, 2009 arabern was certified!
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13. The New BERNMOBIL CNG-Busses
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14. Comparison Euro5 Diesel – Gas busses
CNG Diesel Remarks
Elimination Elimination
NOx 75 t p.a. without filter (INFRAS)
> 40 t p.a. > 30 t p.a.
BERNMOBIL’s share on traffic
NOx BERNMOBIL
Reduced to 9% Reduced to 12% emissions in Bern before biogas busses
share
was 15%
Particle mass
irrelevant irrelevant Before gas, 1.07 t p.a. were emitted
PM10
Reduced by 1 m kg biogas (approx. 30 busses)
CO2 eq. Same as today
2000 t CO2 p.a. CO2-neutral, Biogas from WWTP
Noise approx. 63 dB approx. 66 dB
With low exhaust
Ammonia (Urea) None temperature
existing Source: INFRAS
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15. Comparison of different bio-
fuels
How far can a car run with different biofuels produced on 1ha of land
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16. Bus filling stations
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17. Experience with gas busses
During 15 months the bus operation of 45 buses were carefully
monitored:
• In total, 26 different recurring problems were encountered.The seven
most often occuring problems had nothing to do with gas
• In total, only 15% of the problems were due to gas as fuel (one per
2300km)
• Only one major problem was connected with gas:
All cylinder heads had to be changed
In conclusion: The next 30 buses will not be ordered from Volvo
for 2 reasons:
• There were (too) many little problems disturbing operation
• Volvo could not deliver Euro 5 buses in time
The new buses will be delivered by Mercedes
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18. Development of vehicles
Personal cars Busses
Target Biogasmax Plus 100 70
Status end of 2006 334 32
Status end of 2007 647 45
Status end of 2008 950 45
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19. Increase of private cars
Because our planet has
no air conditioning
I reduce CO2 with IQ
I boroughed the world but I
bought my NGV
Campaign 1: Testimonials 19

20. Increase of private cars
Campaign 2:
Are you old fashioned?
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21. Promotion of private cars
80’000 flyers to households with special
offer
24% reduction
12.5% reduction
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22. The fuel price helps as well
!
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23. New public filling stations
The Biogasmax target was 7 filling stations
in the Berne region
Achieved are
Public Private BRM
2008 8 1 3
2009 11 2 4
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24. The end
Biogasmax in
Berne:
A great success!
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