The plant, operated by Cambi AS on behalf of EGE (Waste-to-Energy Agency) and the City of Oslo, will produce biomethane from household food waste to be used as biofuel for buses in Oslo, thereby putting the region at the forefront of environmental innovation.
EGE produces environmentally friendly energy from waste and is under the supervision of the City of Oslo’s Department of Environmental Affairs and Transport.
The plant is located in Nes, Romerike, an agricultural region close to Oslo. When fully operable it will treat 50,000 tons of food waste a year to produce around 14,000 Nm3 (normal cubic meters) per day of biomethane. The liquefied biogas (LBG) can be efficiently transported for use as fuel.
Wärtsilä is a leading developer and supplier of gas handling and liquefaction technology. The Wärtsilä liquefaction technology is based on more than 50 years of experience in the marine and oil & gas markets. The new facility’s liquefaction plant design uses conventional components in a mixed refrigeration process. The technology is scalable upwards to a capacity of at least 60 tons per day.
"This plant will mean that 135 Oslo region buses will be able to run on biogas. As a result, CO2 emissions will be reduced by some 10,000 tons a year and particle emissions will also be significantly lowered. The air will be cleaner and noise levels will be reduced, and these are benefits that everyone in the region will enjoy," noted Jannicke Gerner Bjerkås, Director Communications and CSR, Waste-to-Energy Agency, City of Oslo.
The EU has set a target to have a 20 per cent share of energy produced from renewable sources by the year 2020.
