Comments from the study visit

22 November, 2014

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]In November 2014 we invited biogas experts from different countries in Europe to a study visit to our region. We showed them Tuvans biogas plant in Skellefteå, Stormossens biogas plant and the largest biomass gasification plant in the world – Vaskiluodon Voima – in Vasa. Here are the participants comments from the trip.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=””][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”2771″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

”This has been two great days. I will now rethink project ideas that we had in 2008, and also look into waste truck driven by biomethane. I have new know-ledge to do this now.”

Mārtiņš Niklass, project manager at the waste company ZAOO in Latvia

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“It has been a really good experience for me to be here. We would like to do our biogas plant more efficient and inject the biogas into the grid. But to do this we need some political decisions first.”

Gatis Pizics, engineer at the biogas plant Agro Lestene in Latvia

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“It has been interesting how we can improve our work and hear about the the business modell for a biomethane filling station. That this actually can generate money. In Latvia we generate money from electricy, here it´s no money from that but from biomethane instead. It has been really interesting to see the differences!”

Vigars Kaktinieks, owner and co-manager for four biogas plants in Latvia

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“I will bring home new contacts and new ideas. I can solve one of my problems about tractors on biomethane now, wich is valuable for me. We can then reduce our costs for diesel when growing maize for biogas production.”

Gatis Vitols, board member for two biogas plants, and co-owner for two biogas plants in Latvia

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“New plants in Italy – a lot of attantion of biomethane – this will be the future. The city of Rimini is really looking into this opportunity – and can specifically use the experiences from this project when building up filling stataions at the countryside with no gas grid.

There are already 800 000 methane cars in Italy and the methane is very cheap. But in Italy people are afraid for biomethane – think it is going to explode. The waste mangement handling is also very impressive i Sweden and Finland. This is a big problem in Italy.”

Andrea Cristofanelli, Consultant at Biteco, Italy

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“This visit is very interesting and that the factories for biomethane is up and running and are successful surprised me. I will bring the knowledge back to Ireland and try to initiate the biomethane industry. I can now tell them that this is really working, it is no science fiction. A biogas industry creates local jobs and make us less dependent on fossil fuels, and this is very important for Ireland.”

Laura Gil Carerra, Gas network Ireland. Post Doc.

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“This was a really interesting group of people with many ideas. I am very happy that we got the possibility to show them the biogas plant at Stormossen. For us it is important to teach people to sort the household waste better – too much is still burned.”

Leif Åkers, CEO Stormossen, Vasa Finland

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“I learnt a lot of things during this visit, because we have seen real cases. The discussions in the group has been valuable – mostly because we could compare the different countries. It is many similar challanges – but weighed differently.”

Olga Oliveti Selmi, Biogas project manager at GDZ Suez, France

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“I got some new insight on what is going on and met new people within the field. The gasification plant was interesting!”

Teemu Aittamaa – business developer Envor, Finland

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“I have a laboratory for bioenergy and 58 small biogas digestors. We do a lot of tests and I will show pictures from this trip for my students. This will be very interesting for them and give them deeper understanding why the tests are important.”

Vilis Dubrovskis – Latvia University of Agriculture

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“It was very intereseting to see how biogas business is constructed in Sweden, it is a completely different system. To balance the production when injecting in a low pressure grid is a problem in the Netherlands. In Sweden you use the flare to blance the system. Containers for transporting biomethane is interesting, although the gas price in the NL is too low to do this back home. We have subsidies for biogas injection into the grid, guaranted for 12 years. It is therefore hard to motivate a stand alone compression system. Bioenergy is a new market in the NL – upgrade to pure biomethane for cars – it is new.”

Bouke Van der Valden – N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie, Netherlands

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“Renewables can not replace all fossil fuels so we need a lot of solutions. Biomethane is one of them. If you create a CNG market – you increase fuel security, create jobs and mitigate climate change. You actually tic all the boxes. Collaboration is very important to succeed– especially if you want to perform new projects. We definately have some nice new project ideas.”

Christian Jenne, UDE – University Duisburg-Essen, Ireland – Germany

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“This trip has been very valuable to me. There has been enthusiastic lectureres telling us about their story. A network like this is good for me as well for the countries new in biomethane like Latvia and Italiy.”

Rikard Jeppsson, Malmberg Water, Sweden

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“Jeppo Biogas has been delivering biogas and biomethane for one year and we hope the market for biomethane will grow for aswell private and heavy vehicles. In Österbotten the market has grown 300% the last month, from one to three cars, it is a good start :-)”

Kurt Stenwall, CEO Jeppo Biogas, Finland

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“For me the biggest impression so far is the fact that you are working on all steps of the circle – from production to fuel & the market, wich makes me really happy. In many places in Europe they concentrate on only one aspect of the large spectrum of steps that the circle of biogas really is.”

Leo Stille, TNO, Netherlands

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