New project reviewing the expectations and displacement effects of electrifying municipal transportation
There is an increase in the number of municipalities choosing to electrify their public transportation system. Many of these have established biofuel, e.g. biogas, systems. It is important to address and review the implications of the emergence of electrified systems, and the consequences that may arise for regional bio-based and circular economy.
IVL and Lund University and a large collection of industry and branch organizations are now starting the project “Implications of Electrifying Municipal Transportation Systems: Regional Consequences for Biogas Production”, with funding from the Swedish Energy Agency and f3-Swedish Knowledge Center for Renewable Transportation Fuels. The aim of the project is to review the broader systemic implications of these choices on a regional perspective to understand the potential consequences of replacing developed biogas systems with electric bus transport systems, political issues surrounding a shift to electrification, displacement effects and opportunities and implications for regional sustainability. – The decisions to switch to electrified buses may not be entirely holistic, and it is hard to understand the implications of these choices, both on the environmental performance and their socio-economic systems, says Michael Martin, project leader and Senior Researcher at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, division for Life Cycle Management. The project will employ a unique perspective to understand the expected outcomes and displacement effects for established markets communicated by advocates of these electrification and biogas. – The fact that we have such a broad representation in the project is important, it will give us a good overall picture of what electrification means for regional development. The results can also be interesting from a national perspective, as the same development is happening across the country, says Sara Anderson, expert in renewable fuels at IVL. For more information, please contact: Michael Martin, michael.martin@ivl.se, tel. +46 (0)10-788 66 81 Sara Anderson, sara.anderson@ivl.se, tel. +46 (0)10-788 67 21