The Community is testing a new Solaris bus propelled only by biomethane obtained in the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Arazuri. This vehicle, which follows another bus tested in January and February of this year, is part of a pilot project developed by the Commonwealth of the Community of Pamplona together with the HERA Group and the collaboration of Gas Natural Fenosa and Sodena. The objective is to improve the biogas obtained at the Arazuri WWTP.
This circular economy project seeks to take advantage of the sludge generated in the community to transform it into fuel, hence also the motto chosen for the project: “This bus is powered by you.” It is expected that the new Solaris bus will run until March 26, carrying out services on lines 8, 10, and 19. In addition, another Scania vehicle will soon be added. The set of tests will allow to verify if there are variations in the results obtained with vehicles of different manufacturers.
With the previous experience, carried out for more than a month, the Mercedes bus serviced lines 3, 5 and 6 and covered a total of 5,300 kilometers, an average of 180 a day. The vehicle refueled the biomethane at night at the Arazuri WWTP and traveled full time transporting several thousand passengers in the region. According to the company TCC, the bus circulated with total normality, with the same performance of start and speed that a diesel bus but with a quieter operation.
This bus that finished the tests consumed an average of 57 m3 of biomethane per 100 kilometers, 20% lower than expected. The vehicles that served as a comparison consume 51 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers. The average CO2 emissions are 133 kg per 100 kilometers on diesel buses and 0 kg emissions with biomethane. The project also contemplates testing the technology used for the treatment of biogas in the WWTP to convert it into biomethane, as well as its economic costs.
Source: Community of Pamplona
