As you set off on the trip you fill up your gas-fuelled car with natural gas or upgraded biogas, i.e. biomethane, in Finland. The journey takes you via Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to Poland, where you again fill the tank. The journey continues through the Czech Republic and Austria to Italy, where you once more fill up on natural gas or biomethane. You have travelled the GasHighWay of the future.
In order to meet the targets set for increasing the use of gaseous fuels for transport, a European network of filling stations is required that is significantly more developed than at present. In addition, progress in the production and upgrading of biogas for transport purposes must be achieved.
To facilitate this work, GasHighWay - an EU project coordinated by Jyväskylä Innovation Ltd - has been established. In addition to Finland, the project involves Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria and Italy.
Biogas and natural gas constitute an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient alternative to the transport fuels currently in use. In numerous life-cycle analyses biogas has been shown to be one of the cleanest and most energy-efficient ways presently used to produce fuel for transport purposes from waste material, among other things.
Also the emission of various particles and other compounds that severely affect air quality are very low in gas fuelled vehicles compared to those using petrol or diesel. Increasing the use of gas-fuelled vehicles would also bring down the volume of traffic noise on heavily used roads. "The spread of natural gas as a transport fuel will create new markets for potential biogas producers especially in areas not served by the natural gas network. A good example is Finland's first biomethane filling station in Laukaa, Central Finland," says Development Director Annimari Lehtomäki of Jyväskylä Innovation.
The EU's objective is an increase in the use of biofuels and so-called alternative fuels - which include natural gas - so that they account for 10 and 20 per cent respectively of all fuels used for transport purposes by the year 2020.
words by tommi salo illustration by martti hänninen