Gas industry preparing for a higher proportion of renewable energy
A growing volume of biogas will be fed into the Swedish gas network, entirely in line with the current trend towards increasing the volume of renewable energy. To keep pace with this development, the industry is investing in methods to cope with variations in gas quality.
To date, almost all natural gas in the Swedish system comes from the Danish gas fields in the North Sea and the quality of the gas has remained consistent. The calorific value - the amount of energy released during combustion - has been stable.
Johan Zettergren, Chief Executive at Swedegas, said: “Swedegas and many other players on the gas market have focused their attention on ensuring that a growing volume of renewable biogas is fed into the gas grid. With more biogas or gas from other parts of Europe entering the system, the calorific value could vary. To address this potential problem, the industry has reached agreement on a common set of rules for how the calorific value is determined. This can be achieved, for example, by adopting an advanced calculation system - Quality Tracker - which was introduced for the gas grid at the turn of the year.”
Using Quality Tracker, the gas in the grid can be monitored and the quality can be measured at each offtake point. Final settlement will be more accurate and it will be simpler to identify any incorrect measurements. The system also offers services that make it possible for customers to optimise their energy use. Furthermore, Quality Tracker functionality makes it easier to satisfy the security of supply control requirements set by the Swedish Energy Agency.
Maria Malmkvist, Chief Executive of the Swedish Gas Association, said: “The work being done in the industry, and the joint investments that are being made, have resulted in a flexible gas infrastructure that can handle gas derived from different sources. It is also part of our long-term endeavour to increase the volume of biogas entering the Swedish gas system.”
Swedegas AB
Swedegas is an infrastructure company that invests in smart energy systems. The company owns the gas grid, which extends from Dragør in Denmark to Stenungsund in Sweden. Swedegas transports energy to distributors and directly connected customers each year. The gas grid supplies 33 municipalities, as well as industrial enterprises, combined heat and power plants and vehicle filling stations, with natural gas. Swedegas is also in the process of developing an infrastructure for biogas and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
For further information, please contact Saila Horttanainen, Vice President Corporate Communications, Swedegas AB, phone +46 70 622 76 06, email: saila.horttanainen@swedegas.se.