The Biogasmax Friends Day report (30.01.08)
At its last steering committee, Biogasmax organized a special day dedicated to the Biogasmax Friends. Our Bern partners welcomed us warmly and offered us a technical tour of the bus re-fuelling station (Bern-Mobil) and of the wastewater treatment and bio-methanisation plant (Arabern). They also honoured us with a political delegation from the city of Bern with an interest in the urban environment. Each partner presented its «bio-methane for vehicle» project step-by-step. After that, a round-table discussion open to the Biogasmax Friends enabled us to get an idea of the very wide diversity of the interested parties. To round off the day, a Decision Makers’ Guide issued by Biogasmax was given out. This aims to support initiatives for implementation of bio-methane production projects using a decision assistance tool.
At the half-way point of the project, Biogasmax has collected a large amount of information and many results thanks to a very fruitful process of sharing experiences. The project partners, concerned about the development of «bio-methane for vehicles», decided to open their circle beyond that of the primary partners to the Biogasmax Friends, in order to support the increase in biogas trials in Europe. This decision is underpinned by a decision assistance tool, issued by Biogasmax: the Decision Makers’ Guide. This aims to help decision makers in the process of developing bio-methane production.
Our Bern partner, who hosted the last steering committee, organized this first event, offering technical tours. Markus Anderegg, CTO of Bern-Mobil, showed us the bus station with its re-fuelling gas system. Beat Ammann, CEO of Arabern, took us on a tour of the plant, explaining the wastewater treatment and bio-methanisation systems. As well as this, Regula Rytz, a city politician, came to meet us. This was a particular honour, as the Biogasmax project also aims at the development of best practice in managing transportation and the urban environment. During the day, each partner had the opportunity to present their results: Lille, Rome, Stockholm, Poland, and Göteborg highlighted their own answers to very different situations. These presentations led to a better understanding of the position of bio-methane in the global market of renewable fuels and energies.
Finally, the Biogasmax Friends were able to explain their interest in the implementation of a possible bio-methane production project. The wide diversity of the interested parties is striking: towns, regions, engineering companies, gas and oil operators, investors and researchers came from all over Europe (Norway-Oslo, Italy-Lombardy, France, Germany, Portugal, United Kingdom) - even from further away, as a Korean investor made the trip. Some of them are already very politically involved, others are still deliberating, but it is clear that today there is an increasing interest in bio-methane. Biogasmax partners were unable to answer all of the varied and interesting questions, but it seems clear that these Biogasmax Friends Days will have to be organized again, and that future meetings will be suggested.
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