21 December 2021

The Swedish Energy Agency has approved the application for a new five-year period for the Biogas Research Center. Linköping University hosts the competence center, which includes the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and about 50 companies and public organizations.

Renahav presents its biogasplant during the Biogastour of 2021.
Renahav presents its biogasplant during the Biogastour of 2021.
The Swedish Energy Agency has granted an application for a new competence center in the biogas area, which builds on the former Biogas Research Center. The call attracted 28 applications, of which 11 were granted. The centre's funding has an expected lifespan of ten years in two five-year stages. The total turnover during the five-year period is approximately 180 million SEK, of which the authority accounts for one third. Other funding comes from the two participating universities, Linköping University, which is the host, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, as well as about fifty companies and public organizations. Here, co-production of knowledge will take place that will develop biogas solutions and their ability to meet major societal challenges.

- What a fantastic message to round off the year with! We are extremely pleased that the Swedish Energy Agency sees the sustainability potential that exists in biogas solutions. In our application, we have created a consortium with players from the entire value chain - biogas producers, distributors, users and technology suppliers, which gives us a platform with unique diversity. We will start operations immediately after the turn of the year. In February, there will be a kick-off with all parties in the consortium to agree on details for the various research areas and discuss working methods. It will be so much fun! says Anna Brunzell who is the coordinator for BSRC.

The Swedish Energy Agency justified its decision as follows:
“The purpose of the Biogas Solutions Research Center (BSRC) is to increase knowledge about sociotechnical energy systems that contain biogas-based solutions. Biogas-based solutions usually have good sustainability performance because they simultaneously treat waste, produce renewable fuel and renewable plant nutrients. The Swedish Energy Agency believes that BSRC clearly contributes to increased sustainability in the structural changes that are necessary for the transition in both the transport sector and industry."

The competence center is one of the tools in the Swedish Energy Agency's portfolio of research and innovation initiatives. The purpose of the competence center model is to strengthen the collaboration between business, the public sector and academia and thus build up and make available both knowledge of the highest quality and competence for society's conversion to a sustainable energy system.

- In these times, we need solutions to sustainability problems that do not involve problem changes without contributing to solutions in several areas. Therefore, it is important that the biogas area today has received recognition for its great sustainability potential. I would like to thank the companies, public organizations and the two universities for their great support. Now we want to take the biogas area over the threshold and support a powerful expansion through research, says Mats Eklund, professor of industrial environmental technology and director of the new competence center.

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