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Bio-energies, and transport bio-fuels in particular, are playing an increasing role in the European energy mix. With Europe asking for a significant increase in the share of renewable energy sources, energy industries have reacted with haste: Bio-diesel produced from vegetable and animal fats, bio-ethanol from a variety of crops such as sugar beet, maize and sugar cane, and bio-methane or bio-gas from waste products are already being commercially produced.While there is a debate on the relative carbon footprints and related environmental impacts of these bio-fuels, in a future where sustainability is central to the attractiveness of any fuel, there is little doubt that any energy without a means of parallel bio production runs the risk of being cast aside. One car manufacturer recently told the AEGPL that without a bio-alternative, it simply could not invest in producing Autogas cars, particularly in the context of an emerging bio-methane market which will find considerable support among car makers and decision-makers.Quite simply, the LPG industry must react. Several research bodies are looking at bio-LPG and early indications are very positive. Using the agricultural products and by-products from the bio-fuels industries, bio-LPG can be produced using vegetable oils, corn, sugarcane and perhaps most promisingly, glycerol.For the past three years Dr. Christian Hulteberg and his research team at Biofuel Solution in Sweden have been working on using glycerol, a major by-product of the bio-fuel industry, as a feedstock for LPG. Although it is still early days, the Green LPG project, which is supported by AEGPL, has already yielded highly encouraging results. Having completed the “Proof-of-Concept” stage last year, whereby they produced relatively small amounts of LPG, they are increasing the scale of production to verify preliminary results. Dr. Hulteberg is very optimistic in terms of both the science and the economics – “We know the process works, and we believe that as long as Europe continues on a path to more bio-fuels, and consequently produces enough glycerol, that bio-LPG can be produced in amounts and at a price which is commercially feasible, particularly for the domestic cylinder and Autogas markets”.The emergence of bio-LPG, whether from glycerol or other feedstocks, will become more and more important to the industry as we approach Europe’s 2020 deadline for 20% renewable energy and, more generally, observe the increasing tendency of the EU and national policy-makers to mandate the “greening” of all fossil fuels. The AEGPL strongly supports the development of bio-LPG and calls for its members to become involved in bio-LPG projects across Europe.For more information about this topic, do not hesitate to contact the AEGPL.
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