“We will provide a circular and sustainable biogas solution”

Tell us about Elof Hansson’s collaboration with Scania.

“Let me give you some background first. Sweden is a world leader in sustainable transportation, waste management, and biogas production from waste. We have learned to use our waste as a resource, nearly eliminating landfills, and the solutions we have developed here could be of great benefit to other countries. So, what Elof Hansson has done is to put together a unique package with Scania, to provide a complete and circular sustainable solution for biogas production and biogas vehicles that can be used in many parts of the world.”

What does the package include?

“Elof Hansson will take an engineering, procurement and supply role, manage and facilitate projects, provide financial and funding know-how, coordinate suppliers and logistics, and partner with local contractors to provide a biogas production solution to transform organic waste into a resource. Scania will deliver biogas vehicles, for example buses and trucks, and provide driver training and service facilities. The goal is to build capacity on-site and support the client with suitable business models.”

What benefits will this give?

“Transportation and landfills are both major greenhouse gas emitters, so this will be an important step toward a sustainable society and will reduce emissions significantly. The biogas production will also result in fertilizer, and methane for cooking or electricity, and the project will provide new jobs – not least for women.”

How far along are the plans?

“We recently attended a ‘Clean Transport Tour’ joint event held by the Embassy of Sweden and Scania in Tanzania, where we presented the full concept to a delegation that included the Minister of Energy. They are extremely positive. Tanzania already has an infrastructure for natural gas that can easily be adapted for biogas.”