| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supported by:
 |
|
|
|
AFD Show Cases |
| Alternative Energy in the Municipal Transport Company (EMT) of Valencia S.A.U. |
|
Valencia (Spain)
|
The MUNICIPAL TRANSPORT COMPANY OF VALENCIA is committed to accept the environmental legislation and regulations that affect to its activity and geographic location. In addition, it will continue making an effort to reduce, to avoid or to suppress the diverse types of present contamination, based on the real possibilities of the Company. The following project sheet describes the usage of biodiesel based on used cooking oil in urban buses in the city of Valencia and additionally refers to experiences gathered during tests with biodiesel based on agricultural products.
* Background & Objectives |
|
Background
In big cities like Valencia daily a big amount of cooking oil accrues, remaining partly unused and causing several problems (e.g. deposition of oils to the sewage system can cause clog of the systems and malfunctions in the filters and oil/water separators). Cooking oil is a waste material that can be used in different ways but collection schemes and recovery options are not sufficiently developed in most regions. Former recycling of cooking oil mainly comprised the usage for animal feed but is banned due to recent legislative developments. Since cooking oils can be recycled into environmentally friendly fuels this option was followed up in Valencia.
Implementation
Planning process
Valencia reverts in the project to experiences gathered during tests with biodiesel in urban buses in 1996/97 compricing 16 buses and a mileage of 311.00 km in total.
The activities concerning used cooking oil in Valencia were embedded in the EU-founded ECOBUS project under the LIFE program. The project started in November 2002 and lasted until end of October 2004. Two objectives of the project were reasonable usage of used cooking oils as well as reduction of related problems and the improvement of air quality in Valencia due to a reduction of hazardous tailpipe emissions from public transport.
Measures implemented
The activities in Valencia mainly comprised three steps, setting up an adequate collection system for waste vegetable oils, conditioning and transformation of the collected oil to biodiesel (FAME), test and usage of the produced alternative fuel in urban city buses.
The collection system
The project established a collection system in Valencia. Collection includes besides domestic oils also those coming from the catering sector like those used in the frying process in bars, restaurants and hotels. All collaborating establishments are identified with a sticker, and provided with containers for the collection of used oil. Tree points were established in Valencia to collect domestic waste oils (on average around 100 litres/month were collected). In commercial establishments different sizes of containers are used (from 20 to 60 litres). By the end of the Project 800 establishments were involved and about 800,000 litres of used cooking oil had been collected. The system of collecting used vegetable oil from the catering and restaurant trade and the food services industry by areas, covering the entire city of Valencia.
Production of biodiesel
The oils collected are then processed and undergo a chemical treatment at a transformation plant for the purpose of producing biodieself fuel. The process chain includes storage, transport to an external plant, conditioning (cleaning, filtering etc.) and transformation (transesterification). During the Project 322,654 litres of eco-diesel were produced and used in the urban bus fleet of Valencia.
Urban bus fleet uses biodiesel
The fleet of the Municipal Transport Company of Valencia comprises in total 480 vehicles. From March to July 2004 15 to 120 buses and from August until October 2004 264 buses (55% of EMT's fleet) were involved in the project. A diesel/biodiesel mixture with a percentage mainly between 5% (B5) and 30% (B30) biodiesel was used. A amount of 1,778,140 litres eco-diesel/diesel mix have been used and the buses covered 3,228,783 km on this fuel in total.
Experience concerning cooking oil based fuel
Reduction of air pollutants:
- CO: minus 15% in average
- CO2: B30 minus 8%; B70 minus 13%
- NOx: no significant changes
- THC (unburned Hydrocarbons): B30 minus 20%; B70 minus 56%
- Particles (Opacity) B30 minus 22%; B70 minus 56%
Durability of vehicle components:
Tests of diverse vehicle components (fuel tubes and sleeves, washers) as well as of internal engine parts have shown no significant differences in performance. Slightly more dirt and Carbon was observed at the injector nozzle.
Vehicle performance:
Only slight variations of engine power during operation were obtained.
Fuel consumption:
Slight increase of about 2,5% (allocation difficult)
Engine oil:
No effects on oil consumption or oil composition were observed
Further results concerning cooking oil based fuel:
As an additional result of the project, the beneficiary sent to Valencia City Council a proposal to establish, at local level, legal regulations to manage the used cooking oil.
Experience based on tests with biodiesel derived from agricultural products:
In 1996, the City council of Valencia, the Municipal Transport Company of Valencia and Repsol Comercial de Productos Petrolíferos S.A., realized a test with fuels coming from agricultural products.
Description of test parameters:
- Fuel: 160,000 litres of biodiesel Repsol (30% of sunflower ester 48,000 litres).
- The tests included 16 buses of two different models (the 6420 Pegaso and Renault PR-100.2).
- For the control of fuel provisions the system TELEMAT installed in the Depot of San Isidro was used.
- A total of 311,000 km were crossed between July of 1996 and January of 1997.
Test results:
- The technical results were acceptable. The motors of the buses did not need any modification and the conclusions were the correct ones with respect to yield, emissions and durability.
- The economic result was that the price of the fuel was not competitive since the originating oils of cultures were expensive.
More Information concerning the project is available at:
http://www.ecobus.net/index_e.html
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm
Further steps concerning alternative fuels in the public transport sector made in Valencia are the following:
1.: Implementation of CNG-Buses (compressed natural gas) and respective fuelling station (Start in 2004, 50 buses until 2007)
2.: Implementation of a Hybrid Electric Bus (electrical traction and thermal generation) in 1999
Partners involved:
- Universidad Politécnica de Valencia
- Federación Nacxional de Transporte de Viajeros por Carretera
- Federación Vaqlenciana de Empresarios del Turismo y Medioambiente
- Instituto para la Diversificación y el Ahorro Energético
- Asociación Nacional de Transportes Colectivos Urbanos de Viajeros de Superficie
- Concejalía de Medioambiente
Company
The MUNICIPAL TRANSPORT COMPANY is the managing organism that operates the network of buses urban public of the city of Valencia, reaching to the municipalities of Alboraia, Alfafar, Burjassot, Mislata, Tavernes Blanques, Vinalesa and Xirivella.
|
Author
Darío Arias
Contact
Darío Arias
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
