Use of biofuels in Switzerland

 

The use of biofuels in vehicle fleets does not exactly follow the same rules as it does with the general public. If it is also often limited to mixtures of up to 5% vol. biofuels in diesel and gasoline (B5 and E5), fleet managers have the possibility to opt for mixtures with a higher biofuels content. In the present context, however, they are faced with potential problems regarding guarantees on vehicles and equipment.

Because vehicle manufacturers do not now usually maintain their guarantees above 5% vol. biofuels, vehicle fleet managers wishing to incorporate biofuels at higher rates need to assume the risk themselves or take out an additional insurance to cover any damage relating specifically to the use of biofuels.

This is particularly true with the company Serbeco in Geneva, which uses B100 in nearly half of its vehicles. In this regard, Mr. Viret of Serbeco states that it is essential to specify the conditions required for the use of biofuels, on tenders for the renewal of vehicles. At present, this is almost the only way to obtain guarantees for the incorporation of biofuels above 5% vol. It is worth mentioning in this regard that the Biofuels Platform is currently evaluating the possibilities of replacing manufacturers guarantees when they are canceled.

Regarding the strategy of biofuels supply, one should mention the case of the companies Migros Vaud (VD) and Goutte Récupération (VD), both located in the region of Lausanne. While the majority of fleet operators using biofuels are directly supplied with blends of biofuels and conventional fuels, the two companies opted for a different solution. They chose indeed to dedicate one of their storage tanks to biodiesel and to make the mixture with diesel on-site, using a distribution column specifically designed for this purpose. The implementation is illustrated in the figure below.

Figure : Supply of diesel and biodiesel in separate batches

One of the tanks originally intended to the storage of conventional diesel is here reserved for the storage of biodiesel [1]. The fleet operator is now supplied with two separate fuel batches, i.e. conventional diesel on the one hand and biodiesel on the other hand. By means of a specific distribution column equipped with a dosing and blending device, the user can then choose (at the tank filling) the fuel blend he wishes (B5-B100), in accordance with the vehicle compatibility or the operator's strategy. This strategy allows biodiesel delivery directly from the producers, thereby optimizing both the logistics and the fuel price.

The company PTC (Petroleum Technical Company), situated in Geneva (GE), supplied and installed the facilities at Migros Vaud and Goutte Récupération. PTC offers a range of distribution columns capable of blending and mixing biodiesel with conventional diesel. Such equipment is scheduled for bioethanol and gasoline in 2008 [2].

You can read more about the experience of companies and French-speaking communities on the use of biodiesel using the following links:

• Serbeco
• roads office of Carouge
• Public Transport of Geneva
• Goutte Récupération
• Luginbühl & Cie

In the form of an interactive map, the Biofuels Platform proposes a list of companies and communities in Switzerland using biofuels. For instance, vehicle fleets using biodiesel include the Public Transport of Geneva (215 buses and an annual fuel consumption in the range of 6 Ml) and Zürich, both using B5, but also smaller companies such as Serbeco (GE), Luginbühl (VS) or Goutte Récupération (VD), where the use of biodiesel is limited to a smaller number of vehicles. In parallel, some major transport/shipping companies (e.g. Planzer, Galliker or Camion Transport Wil) are presently studying the technical and environmental effects of using biodiesel in vehicle fleets, by means of test campaigns with various biodiesel incorporation rates and various vehicle models. Although the list of fleet operators using biofuels is not complete, it is updated regularly.

If biodiesel can be and is actually used in a variety of ways in vehicle fleets, the use of bioethanol, however, has been so far mainly limited to E5. The distribution is carried out directly by Alcosuisse (via private carriers) and/or by fuel distributors having agreements with Alcosuisse. Today, the clients of Alcosuisse include Swisscom, the Police of Geneva, the Industry Services of Lausanne, etc..

The use of biofuels by the general public is mainly limited to fuel blends available in service stations, namely blends of up to 5% vol. (E5, B5) and E85.

While B5 and E5 are used as such in standard vehicles without modification of the engine or equipment, E85, however, is intended exclusively for vehicles called "flexible", "flex-fuel", "flexi-fuel" or yet FFV (for Flexible Fuel Vehicles). These FFVs are able to operate with both conventional gasoline and E85 (while still comprising a single tank). They are equipped indeed equipped with a so-called Flex-Fuel system which automatically identifies the mixture available in the tank and adjusts ignition and injection parameters accordingly. The constantly changing fuel blends are well tolerated by the Flex-Fuel system. According to the ATE (Association Transport and Environment), the purchase price of FFVs is only a few hundred Swiss francs more than the equivalent gasoline model and the difference is quickly offset by the lower cost of E85 (currently of the order of 1.25-1.30 CHF/l). In Sweden or Brazil, a significant share of all personal cars is made up of FFVs (see the use of biofuels in the EU).

Figure : Operation and fuelling system of the VOLVO C30 FlexiFuel

In Switzerland, only a limited number of manufacturers (including Ford, Saab and Volvo) today propose FFVs in its range of vehicles. These particular models are tested and evaluated in the ATE report Ecomobiliste 2007 [3] and are detailed in the table below.

Table : Flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) available in 2007 on the Swiss market

Brand Model Power in kW / HP Volume Grade EcoMobiliste  FORD  Focus C-Max 1.8i FlexiFuel 92 / 125 1'798 cm3 90,8  FORD  Focus Kombi 1.8i FlexiFuel 92 / 125 1'798 cm3 88,9  VOLVO  S40 1.8 FlexiFuel 92 / 125 1'798 cm3 88,8  VOLVO  V50 1.8 FlexiFuel 92 / 125 1'798 cm3 88,8  VOLVO  C30 1.8 FlexiFuel 92 / 125 1'798 cm3 -  VOLVO  V70 2.0 FlexiFuel 107 / 145 1'999 cm3 -  VOLVO  S80 2.0 FlexiFuel 107 / 145 1'999 cm3 -  SAAB  9-5 Combi 2.0t BioPower 132 / 180 1'985 cm3 86,5  SAAB  9-5 Combi 2.3t BioPower 154 / 210 2'290 cm3 86,5

New models (from Renault, Citroen and possibly other manufacturers) should be made available in Switzerland in 2008. The number of service stations which dispenses E85 are also expected to increase significantly in 2008.

Figure : Operation and fuelling system of the RENAULT Mégane E85

It is worth mentioning that various equipment manufacturers propose engine kits capable of "converting" a standard gasoline vehicle into an FFV, but these products are not currently registered, and their assembly is generally canceling any manufacturer guarantee. For more information, the reader should refer to the website of etha+ by Alcosuisse.