Sweden surpasses 20 percent biofuels in transportation first half of 2017
More than one of every five litres of fuel that Swedish motorists and hauliers consumed in the first half of 2017 was a biofuel according to preliminary figures from Statistics Sweden (SCB) and compiled by the Swedish Bioenergy Association (Svebio).
The rapid growth of biofuels in Swedish transportation in recent years is mainly attributed to the increased use of hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVO) diesel, a renewable diesel made from different bio-based raw materials. Sweden has also an extensive use of conventional biodiesel such as rapeseed-derived biodiesel (RME). In total, almost 30 percent of all diesel sold during the first half of 2017 was a bio-based diesel.
According to a statement, total fuel deliveries increased from 45 TWh in the first half 2016 to 45.7 TWh in the first half 2017 of which biofuels increased from 8.3 TWh to 9.2 TWh. The use of fossil gasoline decreased by 5 percent while fossil diesel consumption increased slightly. As a result, the share of biofuels in the total fuel supply increased from 18.4 percent to 20.2 percent.
Almost 30 percent bio-based diesel
The increase was highest for hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVO) diesel, a renewable diesel derived from different bio-based raw materials. In particular, sales of pure HVO, HVO100, more than doubled between 2016 and 2017 whereas sales of conventional biodiesel such as rape methyl-ester (RME) remained stable. In total, 29.2 percent of all diesel was a bio-based diesel in the first half of 2017.
A biogas to biomethane upgrading facility with a refueling station at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Sweden.
Supplies of biomethane increased 13 percent while sales of fossil gas as transportation dropped sharply increasing the share of biomethane in the natural gas vehicle (NGV) fuel blend to 85 percent. Sales of ethanol have remained stable over the period.