Published: 28. february 2022, 11:00 CEST

Green collaboration between Nature Energy and Faaborg-Midtfyn: 10 new garbage trucks will run on biogas from the municipality's own food waste

From the 28th of February 2022, ten new climate-friendly garbage trucks running on green biogas will roll out on the roads in Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality. The garbage trucks are operated by the municipality's utility company FFV Energi & Miljø, and it is Denmark's largest producer of biogas, Nature Energy, which supplies green gas to the cars.

In Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality, Mayor Hans Stavnsager (S) is happy to ensure a greener waste management operation in the municipality with the new biogas-powered garbage trucks.

“In Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality, we work determinedly to reduce the municipality's climate footprint and contribute positively to the green transition. Therefore, it is also our ambition to increase the use of green energy in transport. We have 16 garbage trucks in total in the municipality, and now 10 of them will run on climate-friendly biogas,” Hans Stavnsager states.

At Nature Energy, they are happy to contribute to the green transition in the municipality.

“It is important that we make a green transformation of the entire transport sector. In that regard, biogas is an obvious fuel in the heavy part of the transport where electricity is not the solution right now. Biogas is a green technology that reduces the climate impact here and now. Therefore, we must convert as much of the heavy transport as possible to biogas as soon as possible. We are ready to deliver,” Ole Hvelplund, CEO of Nature Energy, says and continues:

“The green garbage trucks on biogas make Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality a green showcase for the rest of the world, where we in Denmark are already at the forefront of the green transition. We already have the world's greenest gas supply, and we are a global leader in terms of biogas production.”

A strong example of circular economy

The new garbage trucks will collect 13,000 tonnes of waste annually, with food waste alone amounting to 3,000 tonnes. Here, the food waste is sent directly to the local biogas production, which then produces green gas for fueling the garbage trucks. The new trucks refuel the biogas at a new gas filling station delivered by Nature Energy to FFV Miljø og Energi.

“In many ways, this is a strong, circular narrative. Our new garbage trucks run on biogas, which is produced from the citizens' own food waste, which the garbage trucks themselves will collect. It is a green and sustainable circuit, and we can be proud of that,” Mayor Hans Stavnsager says.

In Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality, active efforts are being made to strengthen the waste sorting and recycling of the collected waste. The municipality already houses one of Nature Energy's biogas plants, where i.a. citizens' food waste is converted into climate-friendly biogas and green manure for local agriculture.

At Nature Energy, Faaborg-Midtfyn is seen as a brilliant example of how the country's other municipalities can be inspired to get the green recycling of waste started:

“Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality is a good example of how to think circular economy and climate closely into the solutions made. I hope that more municipalities across the country will be inspired by this so that we can utilize even more food waste in biogas production and at the same time get even more biogas-powered garbage trucks on the Danish roads,” Ole Hvelplund states.

Facts about Nature Energy

• Nature Energy is Denmark's largest producer of biogas. In 2022, Nature Energy will produce about a third of the biogas in the Danish gas supply.
• Nature Energy supplies biogas for transport in large parts of the country, owning 15 gas filling stations and supplying biogas to a total of 18 gas filling stations in Denmark.
• The 3,000 tonnes of food waste that Nature Energy converts to biogas in Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality gives a total of approximately 365,000 cubic meters of green gas for the gas supply. In comparison, this corresponds to the diesel consumption of approximately 18 trucks driving 50,000 km annually.
• Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality has a total of 16 garbage trucks. Following this green collaboration, 10 of them will run on climate-friendly biogas.
• By replacing 10 diesel-powered garbage trucks with 10 garage trucks on biogas, a reduction of approximately 400 tonnes of CO2 annually is achieved.