In Sweden, St1 Biokraft AB, a leading biogas player in the Nordics, has inaugurated a a new gas pipeline that connects the company’s facilities in Henriksdal (Nacka) and Gladö Kvarn (Huddinge) via Stockholm’s gas network. The new gas grid connection means that the capacity to produce liquefied biomethane (bioLNG) in Huddinge has more than doubled, strengthening both the green transition and the region’s security of supply of fossil-free fuels.
A joint venture between Nordic energy major St1 and Norway-headed private equity firm HitecVision AS, St1 Biokraft aims to produce 3 TWh of biomethane and reach a distribution of 6 TWh per annum by 2030 for the transport, maritime and industrial sectors.
The company currently has 12 biogas production and upgrading facilities in Sweden and Norway, as well as a growing Nordic distribution network with over 60 public filling stations and dedicated bus refuelling depots.
Liquefied biomethane (bioLNG) is biogas that has been upgraded to biomethane – aka renewable natural gas (RNG) – and cooled and converted into liquid form.
BioLNG is seen as one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions from heavy road transport, shipping and industry. When used as a fuel, it also improves local air quality by reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other harmful particulate matter (PM) emissions compared to conventional fossil fuels such as diesel.
Moreover, it is one of the few energy carriers that is produced from local feedstock – in this case, Stockholm residents’ food waste and wastewater.
We are very pleased to inaugurate the new connection that links two of our facilities in Stockholm. This is a major milestone for us and means we can supply the market with even more liquefied biomethane to help accelerate the green transition. Recent developments in the world around us also show how important it is to invest in infrastructure and locally produced energy, and this connection contributes to increased security of supply for both the region and Sweden, said Miika Johansson, CEO, St1 Biokraft.
Utilise liquefaction capacity
The Gladö Kvarn facility comprises a production unit that produces approximately 100 GWh of biogas per year and two upgrading units that can produce compressed biomethane (bioCNG) and liquefied biomethane (bioLNG), respectively.
The bioLNG unit was completed in late summer 2023 and was then one of the world’s largest liquefaction plants. However, the bioLNG unit is designed to produce 240 GWh of energy, equivalent to 22 million litres of diesel.
What has been missing is a connection from the Henriksdal wastewater treatment facility, which can only produce bioCNG.
The project has required the construction of an entirely new gas pipeline through Stockholm – work that has been ongoing for two years.
The new gas pipeline is an important part of the Stockholm region’s climate transition and has been built to increase the use of biomethane. But it is also important from a security perspective. With the new pipeline, the region broadens its energy mix and becomes less dependent on a single energy source. If recent years of global uncertainty have shown us anything, it is that we must safeguard our energy supply, said Jesper Karpsen, CEO, Gasnätet Stockholm, part of Driva.
The project has been carried out with investment support from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s “Klimatklivet” (Climate Step) support programme.
