The Associazione Culturale Torino-Pechino (Torpec 2008), whose main area of activity is the organization of trips outside the central tourist routes, with particular interest in the social, historical and geopolitical dimension of the regions crossed, has presented the Bio-CNG European Tour 2022. The initiative has support of the World Gas Mobility Council (WGMC) and NGV Italy, among other global associations.
The world emerges from a pandemic and the economy of the old continent finds itself suffering the consequences of a conflict between Russia and Ukraine that brings the problem of energy supply to the center of attention. Never before has the choice to support and increase the production and use of biomethane become so necessary, as it will be able to reduce the dependence of Europe on gas imports and the related volatility of the market.
In this context, biomethane will be the exclusive protagonist of this new trip. In this case, the aim will not be covering thousands of kilometers from one part of Eurasia to the other, but rather a journey into the heart of those places where biomethane is already an important reality with the purpose of promoting its adoption. In Europe, it is particularly widespread in Scandinavian countries.
The bio-CNG car is a SEAT Leon, with a range of 400 km with a full tank and equipped with a very simple CNG system. The reason is to demonstrate that despite the crisis in the sector triggered by the increase in the price of raw materials, a future for mobility linked to NGVs is absolutely conceivable with renewable gas, while continuing to use infrastructure and vehicles currently on the market.
The tour will start on 20 July and will end approximately on 5 August. The itinerary includes Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. Biomethane will reach Santa Claus village in Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle. The two northernmost distributors in Europe are located in Oulu (Finland) and Boden (Sweden). The first is 220 kilometers from Rovaniemi, the second 250.
To date, the Arctic Circle is really reachable with biomethane, while there is an eventual possibility to continue to the North Cape, which would be the only part that will not use the biofuel.
