This winter, local transport company Upplands Lokaltrafik (UL) is testing a locally produced vehicle fuel based on rapeseed (canola) on route 803 between Enköping, Bålsta and Stockholm-Arlanda. The buses belong to Swebus and the trial will be under way for 16 months, enabling UL to test the biofuel through two winter seasons.
“The route was chosen bearing in mind the intensive environmental focus that surrounds Stockholm-Arlanda. The distance is also suitable for a trial of this kind,” says Caj Rönnbäck, Planning Manager at UL.
The rapeseed fuel is made from 100 per cent rapeseed grown at Brunnsholms säteri, a farm outside Enköping. The fuel is hauled by the farm’s tractor, which also runs on rapeseed fuel, 15 kilometres to the Swebus depot in Enköping.
“So far the trial has worked out very well. Drivers notice no difference in the engine, and for the workshop the only difference is a new type of fuel filter that has to be changed more often,” explains Peter Nilsson, Traffic Manager at Swebus AB.
The two buses are expected to lower net carbon dioxide emissions by 300 tonnes during 2008, since rapeseed fuel is a vegetable oil that is entirely renewable. The buses admittedly require more rapeseed fuel than diesel to drive the same distance. But given a rapeseed consumption of about 0.35 litres per kilometre, carbon dioxide emission is about 5 grams per kilometre. By comparison, a car emits around 120 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre.
“The natural progression now, if this trial turns out well, is to take a further step and expand the trial to the airport coaches on the route between Uppsala and Stockholm-Arlanda,” Mr Rönnbäck says.
LFV Stockholm-Arlanda, which runs the airport, is very pleased that one of its major public transport operators is pursuing this project.
“The big challenge in our zero carbon dioxide vision is to reduce emissions from ground transport. That is why we are very pleased that UL has taken this step, and we hope that this good example will lead to other similar initiatives. Many of us need to work together to create a greener airport. We also have further exciting projects to look forward to,” says Jonas Strömberg, Environmental Manager, Stockholm-Arlanda Airport.