VERBIO's Zoerbig plant produces biomethane for vehicle fuel.
VERBIO (Vereinigte BioEnergie AG) is now supplying another 18 natural gas filling stations with 100% biomethane – VERBIO’s second-generation biofuel made exclusively from agricultural residues such as straw. Seventeen of these fillings stations belong to major electric corporation RWE AG while the other one is owned by natural gas utility Erdgasversorgung Oranienburg GmbH. That brings the total number of filling stations throughout Germany supplying verbiogas for natural gas vehicles (NGVs) to 105.
Since verbiogas has the same chemical composition as fossil natural gas, it can be safely used in all natural gas vehicles. Moreover, compared to conventional fuels, verbiogas produces up to 90pc fewer CO2 emissions.
“In the past 18 months alone, we’ve managed to convert nearly 20pc of the German natural gas market to verbiogas,” declared Claus Sauter, CEO of VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG. “We’ll make every effort to increase supplies and hence pave the way for the energy revolution in road transport!”
Biomethane made by VERBIO doesn’t conflict with food production or entail unacceptable side-effects such as farmland being used to grow energy crops instead of food. Being a second-generation biofuel, verbiogas is produced from nothing but agricultural waste. By 2020, renewables must account for at least 10pc of the fuel used in road transport. Whether second-generation biofuels should account for half of this amount is currently being debated. But VERBIO is already producing a second-generation biofuel right now.
(This article compiled using information from a Verbio press release)
