the little engine that could

Biogas-Powered Train in Sweden


The city of Linkoeping in Sweden (south of Stockholm) will be linked to the city of Västervik 80 kilometers away (50 miles) by the first train to run entirely on biogas that comes from organic waste. A small one-carriage train that can carry 54 passengers has been converted: its diesel engines have been replaced by two Volvo gas engines. "The train is equipped with eleven canisters containing enough gas to run for 600 kilometers (375 miles) before needing a refill, and can reach a maximum speed of 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour".

Trains are a relatively efficient way to move goods and people around, but cheap oil has meant that people and companies prefer the flexibility of cars and trucks. In the near future, we certainly won't have much of a choice to start using them more as long distance travel by road becomes increasingly expensive. Having them run on biogas is just making a smart choice even smarter.

The country, home to nine million people, currently has 779 biogas buses and more than 4,500 cars that run on a mixture of petrol and either biogas or natural gas, according to the Swedish environment ministry. [...]

"Sweden has a rather ambitious target for 2005. That is (a) 3.0 percent" replacement level, Lars Guldbrand, an energy expert at the environment ministry, told AFP.

That goal is the highest among European Union member states, most of which have set a target of around 2.0 percent, he said.