Björn Berglund
Linköping University, Environmental Management and Technology, Linköping, Sweden
Carolina Ersson
Linköping University, Environmental Management and Technology, Linköping, Sweden
Mats Eklund
Linköping University, Environmental Management and Technology, Linköping, Sweden
Michael Martin
Linköping University, Environmental Management and Technology, Linköping, Sweden
Rajeev Kumar Mishra
Centre for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
G. N. Tiwari
Centre for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
Xuan Wu
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Dennis Y. C. Leung
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
F. Jahanshah
Isfahan High Educations and Research Institute, I.R. Iran
K. Sopian
Solar Energy Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
S. H. Zaidi
Gratings, Incorporated, USA
E. Gholipour
Isfahan High Educations and Research Institute, I.R. Iran
George C. Bakos
Democritus University of Thrace, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Xanthi, Greece
Getachew Bekele Beyene
Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
S. SH. Khoshmanesh
Islamic Azad University, Khormoj branch, khormoj, Boushehr, Iran
S. Bordbar
Petroiran company, Tehran, Iran
Marta Galera Martínez
Department of Chemical Engineering and Seminar of Renewable Energy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Laura Cristóbal Andrade
Department of Chemical Engineering and Seminar of Renewable Energy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Pastora M. Bello Bugallo
Department of Chemical Engineering and Seminar of Renewable Energy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Manuel Bao Iglesias
Department of Chemical Engineering and Seminar of Renewable Energy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Dung-An Wang
Graduate Institute of Precision Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
Huy-Tuan Pham
Graduate Institute of Precision Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
Chia-Wei Chao
Graduate Institute of Precision Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
Jerry M. Chen
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
M. Ellersdorfer
Institute of Process Technology and Industrial Environmental Protection, Mining University Leoben, Austria
C. Weiss
Institute of Process Technology and Industrial Environmental Protection, Mining University Leoben, Austria
Despoina Teli
Sustainable Energy Research Group, School of Civil Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, UK
Mark F. Jentsch
Sustainable Energy Research Group, School of Civil Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, UK
Patrick A. B. James
Sustainable Energy Research Group, School of Civil Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, UK
AbuBakr S. Bahaj
Sustainable Energy Research Group, School of Civil Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, UK
Fergus Sharkey
Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland \ ESB International, Dublin, Ireland
Michael Conlon
Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland
Kevin Gaughan
Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland
Jenny Ivner
Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
Sara Gustafsson
Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
Xiaoyan Ji
Division of Energy Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
Yuanhui Ji
Division of Energy Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
Chongwei Xiao
Petroleum Recovery Research Center, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, New Mexico, USA
Felipe Toro
IREES GmbH, Germany
Martin Wietchel
Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, Karlsruhe, Germany
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3384/ecp110573082Published in: World Renewable Energy Congress - Sweden; 8-13 May; 2011; Linköping; Sweden
Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 57:11, p. 3082-3089
Biofuels are being employed in nearly all the EU member states to fulfill the targets set up by the European Directive 2003/30/EC to have a 5.75% share of renewable energy in their transport sector by 2010. In Sweden ethanol is the leading biofuel; while biogas mainly depend on local initiatives with the city of Linköping as a case in point.
Our purpose with this article is to analyze the development of biogas in Linköping within a framework of technological transition theory. To this we add a set of concepts from large technical systems-literature to address and re-analyze two earlier studies on the biogas development in Linköping to achieve a deeper understanding of this success story. We argue that the establishment of a development trajectory for biogas depended on the ability of the involved actors to establish and nurture their social network; to create learning processes and stimulate the articulation of expectations and visions. It was also important that these three factors were allowed to influence each other for the system to gain a momentum of its own.
Furthermore; the biogas development in Linköping is found to be interesting in that the triggers for the development came from a variety of levels and angles. Initially; the rising fuel prices after the oil crises in the 1970’s resulted in an increased interest in renewable fuels in general. Second; an anticipated national pipeline for natural gas planned through Linköping was considered a huge potential for methane exports. A part from these external energy incentives; the local trigger was the bad urban air quality caused by the public transport authority’s bus fleet. The breakthrough came when it was discovered that by-product biogas from the wastewater treatment facility could be used as a fuel for transport.
When the plans for the national pipeline were rejected; a fruitful co-operation between the municipally owned production facility and the public transport authority was set up to meet the constructed demand from public transport. This cooperative pair-arrangement was the starting point for the biogas niche trajectory as other actors subsequently were enrolled to increase the size and agency of the network.
Nowadays; biogas and other renewable fuels play a significant role in the supply of transport fuels for Linköping. In 2009; a total of 9.5% of all transport fuels used in Linköping were from renewable sources; i.e. biogas (4.6%); ethanol and biodiesel. This puts the city well ahead of the European target of 5.75% renewable fuels by 2010.
Technological transitions; niche management; biogas; renewable energy; biofuels for transportation
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