A 10-year-old plant on the outskirts of the city uses a biological process to transform the rubbish into biogas. That gas is burned to create heat and electricity, or is refined as a fuel for cars. According to officials, Kristianstad is saving up money since it fuels its municipal cars, buses and trucks with biomethane, avoiding the need to purchase nearly half a million gallons of diesel each year.
Transportation now represents 60 percent of fossil fuel use, so city planners want drivers to use cars that run on locally made biogas, while municipal vehicles already do. Therefore, Kristianstad is looking to increase fuel production and build satellite biogas plants for outlying areas and expanding its network of underground biogas pipes. It will allow the construction of more refuelling stations.
It is worth mentioning that after Sweden became the first country to impose a tax on carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, in 1991, Kristianstad started looking for substitutes. Currently, the city is hoping that residents in southern Sweden will start buying dual-fuel vehicles, which are already commercially made by Volvo and Opel.
