BioFuel in Sweden

Sweden is today considered to be at the very forefront of the push toward renewable fuels. We have a great deal of experience with biofuels and ethanol cars have a firm foothold on the market. Swedish automakers are global leaders. How did we get to where we are now?

SEKAB playing a central role

Örnsköldsvik (a part of Biofuel Region) and SEKAB play a central role. In 1986 ethanol was introduced on a trial basis as the fuel for two buses in Örnsköldsvik, and by 1989 30 ethanol-operated buses were in service in Stockholm. SEKAB provided the fuel. As such, we have more than 20 years of experience with ethanol buses, whereas many other countries have only recently decided to trial ethanol for use in public transportation (through the BEST-project, for example). Today there are over 600 ethanol-operated buses in service in Sweden and Scania is highly active in ethanol development and is a leader in the field. In 1994 the first three fuel-flexible cars (powered by both ethanol and petrol) were imported. These first thre Ford Tauruses were delivered to Örnsköldsvik, where an ethanol fuel pump was installed in the area. At the same time, the BioAlcohol Fuel Foundation (BAFF), founded in 1983 under the name of The Swedish Ethanol Development Foundation (SSEU), began lobbying other municipalities to invest in ethanol. However, a classic chicken-or-the-egg problem was encountered: which should come first? The cars or the pumps? Who was going to make the leap to set up ethanol pumps when there were no ethanol-operated cars on the roads? And conversely, who was going to buy an ethanol-operated car if there was nowhere to re-fuel it?

Solving catch-22

BAFF tried to solve this catch-22 by signing an agreement with municipal governments throughout the country and with OKQ8. Suddenly, several municipalities purchased ethanol-operated cars and E85 (ethanol fuel) pumps were installed. Now carmakers began also to show interest in the development of new ethanol-operated models. There was obviously a market for ethanol cars amongst the environmentally conscious Swedish population. Since then, Ford Sweden and Saab have become leaders in fuel-flexible ethanol cars, and Volvo currently markets several ethanol-operated models. The increased number of cars and ethanol pumps, although modest at the outset, has grown almost exponentially. It took 10 years to establish the first 100 E85 pumps, whereas today pumps are erected at the rate of close to 100 every two months. At present there are about 1400 E85 pumps found throughout the country. The number of fuel-flexible cars in Sweden is about 147 000.

Go to the website of BioAlcohol Fuel Foundation (BAFF) to see monthly sales of flexfuel cars.

BioFuel Region is the propelling force in a long-term process where regional co-operation is used to implement the development and introduction of renewable fuel, which is based on biomass from forests, fields and recycling. For the most part, the counties of Västernorrland and Västerbotten make up the region.

The vision for BioFuel Region (BFR) is that we are going to be self sufficient in transport fuels in 2020 and a world-leading region in the area of cellulose-based biofuel that will be in the forefront of the acquisition of knowledge about biofuel, as well as being a leader in the development of technology, production and utilisation of biofuel.

SEKAB is one of the founders of BioFuel Region, supporting it both financially and with variuos forms of engagements.

SEKAB, P.O. Box 286, SE-891 26 Örnsköldsvik, SWEDEN
Phone: +46 660 758 00 Fax: +46 660 549 03 info@sekab.com