Passengers smile from the first train in the world running solely on biogas during a test trip 20 June.

The world’s first train to run on biogas, a renewable energy source made up of organic waste, made its maiden voyage in Sweden, a country that has high hopes for biofuels.
“The train left on time, at 2:32 pm (1242 GMT) and everything is going well,“ said Peter Unden, head of marketing at Svensk Biogas, the company that owns the train, according to AFP.
The train which links the city of Linkoeping, just south of Stockholm, to the east coast town of Vaestervik some 80 kilometers (50 miles) away, is scheduled to make one trip a day to begin with, “but our ambition is that it will eventually make two or more,“ Unden told AFP by telephone from the moving train.
Consisting of a single carriage that seats about 60 passengers, the vehicle consists of a converted old Fiat train whose diesel engines have been replaced by two Volvo gas engines.
Replacing the engine has made the train more environmentally friendly, since the combustion of biogas, like other biofuels, helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Svensk Biogas chief Carl Lilliehoeoek told AFP last June when the train was inaugurated.
The engine “does not run on regular fuel, but on renewable energy ... This is a very good way of providing a sustainable transport system,“ Unden said on Monday.
Another advantage is that biogas, unlike oil, does not create a dependence on imports from other countries.
“Communities can build their own production and this helps create jobs,“ he said.
Biogas is made up of shredded plant materials and animal waste, which are then mixed with water in a tank. Once the waste has decomposed, a gas is formed that can be stored and used as fuel.
Another plus with running on biogas is that the engines make less noise than most other trains, Unden insisted.
The train is equipped with 11 canisters containing enough gas to run for 600 kilometers (375 miles) before needing a refill, and can reach a maximum speed of 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour.
As the train chugged out of the Linkoeping station on Monday, Unden said he was thrilled at the “opportunity to show that this is something that works“, adding that several other countries have voiced interest in the project, including India.

Doctoral student Emily Heaton stands next to a plot of Giant Miscanthus, a hybrid grass that she and her research fellows have shown could become a valuable fuel source.

Ethanol and biodiesel are the biofuel favorites in the US right now but new research is suggesting some new contenders may be on the way. Giant Miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), a hybrid grass that can grow 13 feet high, may become a valuable renewable energy as a source of solid fuel, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) say.
Stephen P. Long, professor of crop sciences and of plant biology at UIUC recently gave that message to the BA Festival of Science in Ireland, sponsored by the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Here in the states, two of Long’s doctoral students, Emily A. Heaton and Frank G. Dohleman, delivered their Miscanthus findings at the 49th annual Agronomy Day, held on the UIUC campus and attended by more than 1,100 visitors from across the Midwest, solaraccess.com reported.
“Forty percent of US energy is used as electricity,“ Heaton said. “The easiest way to get electricity is using a solid fuel such as coal.“ They have found that dry, leafless Miscanthus stems can be used as a solid fuel. The cool-weather-friendly perennial grass grows from an underground stem-like organ called a rhizome. A crop native to Asia and a relative of sugarcane, Miscanthus drops its leaves in the winter, leaving behind tall bamboo-like stems that can be harvested in spring and burned for fuel.
Using a computer simulation, Heaton predicted that if just 10 percent of Illinois land mass was devoted to Miscanthus, it could provide 50 percent of Illinois’ electricity needs. Using Miscanthus for energy would not necessarily reduce energy costs in the short term, Heaton said, but there would be significant savings in carbon dioxide production.
Rhizomatous grasses such as Miscanthus are very clean fuels, said Dohleman, who is studying for his doctorate in plant biology. Nutrients such as nitrogen are transferred to the rhizome to be saved until the next growing season, he said.
Burning Miscanthus produces only as much carbon dioxide as it removes from the air as it grows, said Heaton, who is seeking her doctorate in crop sciences. That balance means there is no net effect on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which is not the case with fossil fuels, she said.
Miscanthus also is a very efficient fuel, because the energy ratio of input to output is less than 0.2, Heaton said. In contrast, the ratios exceed 0.8 for ethanol and biodiesel from canola, which are other plant-derived energy sources.
In addition to being a clean, efficient and renewable fuel source, Miscanthus is easy to grow. Upon reaching maturity, Miscanthus has few needs as it outgrows weeds, requires little water and minimal fertilizer and thrives in untilled fields, Heaton said, where various wildlife species make their homes in the plant’s leafy canopy and surrounding undisturbed soil.
Long said Illinois researchers have found that Miscanthus grown in the state has greater crop yields than in Europe, where it has been used commercially for years. Last year, Illinois researchers obtained 60 tons per hectare (2.47 acre), Long said at the BA Festival of Science. “It is my hope that Illinois will take the lead in renewable energy and that the state will benefit from that lead.“
Full-grown plants produce 10-30 tons per acre dry weight each year. Miscanthus yields in lowland areas around the Alps, where the climate is similar to the Midwest, are at least 25 tons per acre dry weight, wrote Heaton and colleagues in a paper published in 2004 in the journal Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change.
The Illinois Miscanthus crop began three years ago when Heaton planted 400 Miscanthus rhizomes, which were generated from three rhizomes donated by the Turfgrass Program in the department of natural resources and environmental sciences. Because Miscanthus is sterile, cuttings of Miscanthus rhizomes must be used to create new plants. Now in their third year, the three 33-by-33 feet Miscanthus plots are considered mature. Their 10-foot tall stems are twice as high as switchgrass, a prairie grass native to Illinois. Grown side by side, Miscanthus produces more than twice as much biomass as switchgrass, Heaton said.

A new privately funded, green hydro project near Squamish will deliver enough energy to power over 9,800 households per year, announced John Keating, CEO of Canadian Hydro Developers, Inc. The 98,000 megawatt-hours per year of power produced by the plant will be sold to BC Hydro under a 20-year power sale contract, and BC Hydro has also purchased Renewable Energy Certificates from the project.
Keating made the remarks onsite today at the Grand Opening of the $39 million Upper Mamquam Hydro Plant located 10 kilometers east of the Town of Squamish and 40 kilometers north of Vancouver along the Sea to Sky Highway.
The event marked the first day of the annual conference of the Independent Power Producers of British Columbia (IPPBC), .
He added, “This new power plant is a perfect example of balancing the needs of the environment with responsible economic development. We know green electricity builds sustainable communities, canada.com said.
Environmentally, the Upper Mamquam Hydroelectric Plant generates virtually zero emissions.“
“Our ministry supports the independent power sector in B.C. in helping us maintain our low cost, reliable and environmentally sustainable power supply,“ said B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Richard Neufeld.
“This project demonstrates that our government’s policies to encourage IPPs are working.“
Environment Minister Barry Penner, who spoke at the event and toured the facility, said, “This project is a great example of how we can help meet the energy needs of our growing province and still be sensitive to the environment. Innovative solutions and new technology will help keep the lights on while maintaining British Columbia’s leadership role in protecting the
environment.“
The 25-megawatt project is located upstream of a 15-meter waterfall on the Mamquam River. Run-of-river hydro plants, which do not require dams, rely on the natural downward flow of the stream to guide water through pipes to a generating station. The force of the water spins a turbine, which drives an electric generator that creates electricity. Of the two major types of hydro projects, the environmental ’footprint’ of run-of-river facilities is considered low-impact compared to the facilities that have large storage reservoirs.
“Alternative energy projects can bring economic benefits to a community, and we are pleased to have Canadian Hydro in Squamish,“ said Mayor Ian Sutherland. Economically, this project contributes to the local tax base, creates employment and provides business to local suppliers, and socially, the project demonstrates key community values of working together for everyone’s benefit. Community groups involved in bringing the project to the Squamish area include the Squamish First Nations, BC Hydro, various levels of government and outdoor recreational organizations.
“Independent power producers are one of the key priorities for BC Hydro when it comes to meeting the province’s future electricity needs,“ said BC Hydro’s Manager of Power Acquisitions and Contract Management, Dave Kusnierczyk. “The Upper Mamquam project is an exceptional example of how the industry can step up to the plate and help BC Hydro meet its goal of electrical self-sufficiency.“
Construction for the power plant started in November 2003 and was completed in July 2005 taking less time than the typical two-and-a-half years normally required for a project this size. “The timing and quality of completion of this project demonstrates a high level of operational excellence,“ said Keating.
The distance from the water intake to the powerhouse of the Upper Mamquam Hydroelectric Project is 1.7 kilometres. At full flow, 513 million gallons of water per day (at 27 cubic meters per second) will pass through the turbines.
Unique features of the plant include a 145 meter tunnel allowing the buried steel penstock to pass through a rock wall; a bypass valve for uninterrupted river flow; the project’s proximity to an urban area; and, its location just upstream of another run-of-river hydro facility.
Now that the plant is operational, Canadian Hydro will seek certification as a Green Power facility under the Environmental Choice Ecologo(M) program.
To qualify for the Ecologo(M) standard, a green power project must be from a renewable resource, as well as be environmentally and socially responsible.

The economy of Saudi Arabia is at its best performing period ever, with oil export revenues hitting a 22-year high and the real gross domestic product (GDP) growing at 6.8 per cent, as a result of the higher oil production than in 2004.
The bullish sentiment on the pace of economic reforms and the recent developments under the reign of King Abdullah, Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, indicate the growth will be optimal in this boom cycle, a report said.
Saudi Arabia’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) is now mostly confirmed, with the final major hurdle, a bilateral trade agreement with the US, having been overcome in September. The king instituted a 15 percent salary increase for government employees as well as announcing how a portion of the excess oil revenue will be spent, according to tradearabia.com.
According to Samba Financial group’s third quarter economic update on Saudi Arabia, oil export revenues will hit a 22-year high of a Samba-estimated $163 billion and the Kingdom will have a very healthy trade balance and a current account surplus of $101 billion, the report added.
Real GDP will grow at 6.8 percent as a result of two factors - higher oil production than in 2004, and non-oil private sector growth, which the financial group now expects to grow at 7.9 percent in 2005 and pick up further in 2006.
Through 2005, record high global oil prices will help sustain Saudi oil at an average price of $51 per barrel. The strong prices for Saudi oil will likely be sustained through 2006.
The report also said fiscal performance will be strong. ’We anticipate a budget surplus of SR208 billion, a gradual, yet continuous reduction of government debt to SR595 billion, or 49 percent of GDP, and a continuous build-up of central bank foreign assets, which we forecast will stand at $141 billion at year-end 2005,’ Samba chief economist Brad Bourland said.
’We have upped our previous estimate of 6.5 percent real GDP growth (August 2005 mid-year report) for 2005 to 6.8 percent. We believe that both the oil and non-oil sectors will show strong growth, the former due to increases in oil production compared with last year’s output,’ he added, according to the report.
The Samba report said the oil sector is set to grow in real terms by 7.2 percent. The non-oil private sector is set to grow by 7.9 percent. The government will grow by 3.9 percent in 2005. Liquidity as measured by overall money supply (M3) has grown through August by nearly 7 percent and we estimate it will grow by over 14 percent for the entire year. Money supply growth fell during July and August, but will pick up robustly from September through year-end 2005.
Bourland said: ’Looking into 2006, we anticipate the economy to continue to grow, albeit at a lower rate compared with 2005 growth. As long as global economic growth continues its current strong path, oil revenues will not decline going into 2006. Due to US inflationary pressures, interest rates appear likely to continue to rise in the first quarter of 2006 in the US and Saudi Arabia.’
The high interest rates will not, however, affect the Saudi economy. The economy will be robust on account of the following factors:
* Sustained growth in oil revenues will give another year’s boost to the budget,
* Growth in real GDP expected at 5.1 percent. The non-oil private sector will grow by 8.5 percent,
* A rising Inflation--to 1.6 percent--will not create any macroeconomic distortions,
* Higher interest rates will also help moderate inflationary pressures,
* Government spending will increase with prudent management and fiscal discipline and a likely budgetary surplus, and
* Surplus current account of $94 billion, the eighth year in a row of surplus.
Revenues for year 2005 to total SR551 billion as a result of higher oil revenues and other non-oil revenues. Spending will total SR343 billion. This will lead to a surplus of SR208 billion. The 2006 budget will be expansionary, based on a higher, and more realistic, oil price assumption than the $25 per barrel assumption behind the 2005 budget, said the report.
As government revenues rise, government debt is falling. According to Samba estimates government debt to amount to SR595 billion at year-end 2005, equivalent to 49 percent of GDP. This is a significant improvement within a three-year period. The current boom is helping the government build up its foreign assets, which have nearly tripled since 2002 from $41 billion to $122 billion by August 2005.