
Shell BioLNG Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about ShellBioLNG? From refuelling instructions to safety measures, discover the facts that matter and find the answers to the most commonly asked questions when it comes to bioLNG.
General Questions
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What is bioLNG and how is it produced?
BioLNG is a 100% biofuel. It is derived from renewable resources such as biogas and can be produced at any place where anaerobic digestion occurs (i.e., where organic waste is broken down by bacteria in absence of oxygen). A source for bioLNG is biogas from animal manure and sewage sludge or green waste. Biogas contains 30 – 45% CO2, H2S and other compounds that need to be removed and upgraded to high-quality biomethane before it can be liquefied to bioLNG at -162 degrees Celsius.
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What are the benefits of bioLNG?
Biomethane Liquefied Natural Gas (bioLNG) has the potential to provide economic and environmental benefits for truck owners and operators. Due to the use of industrial organic waste as a resource, the CO2 emissions will be much lower than the CO2 emissions of traditional fuels. BioLNG is essential in achieving the long-term aim of further decarbonisation for 2030.
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What is the difference between bioLNG and biofuel?
BioLNG is a gaseous product like LNG; a gas cooled down until it becomes a liquid for easier handling, whereas biofuels typically refer to diesel like fuels. These latter fuels are typically liquid at room temperature.
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What are the benefits of bioLNG and why should I choose bioLNG as a transport fuel?
LNG is a competitively priced fuel for heavy trucks, which can both lower the operating costs as well as the emissions. Shell aims for full carbon-neutrality – i.e. 0 g CO2 eq/MJ throughout its expanded network of LNG gas stations, which means a supply chain that balances bioLNG and LNG in a way so we achieve carbon-neutrality for our customers. In addition, LNG emits negligible SOx or particulate matters when burnt, thus it helps reduce local air pollution. BioLNG can even be carbon negative depending on the feedstock used. Our customers will also experience lower fuel costs thanks to the competitive price Shell offers for carbon-neutral LNG compared to diesel.
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What effect has bioLNG on local emissions (is that different than LNG?)
This is similar to LNG.
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Can bioLNG be used in a regular LNG truck?
Yes. They are physically and chemically identical (CH4).
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What are the hazards of BioLNG?
BioLNG is (just like LNG) a clear, colourless and non-toxic liquid which forms when natural gas is cooled to -162ºC (-260ºF). It is not flammable nor explosive as a liquid. When it begins to vaporize it is potentially flammable and explosive, but only within the range of 5% – 15% natural gas in air. At less than 5% there is not enough natural gas to burn, while at more than 15% there is not enough oxygen to burn. LNG is non-toxic. The low temperature of LNG can cause cold burns; hence personnel are required to wear personal protective equipment during transfer activities.
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What value does Shell BioLNG offer to my business?
Shell BioLNG offers the potential for customers to have carbon neutral heavy-duty transport. As part of the project Shell is committed to developing low carbon intensity biomethane supplies, with the objective of reducing most, if not all, of our customers’ carbon emissions from heavy duty transport when your business chooses Shell LNG for transport. This development offers customers the potential to have net zero emission logistics, at competitive and affordable prices, without compromising performance.
Carbon Emissions & Feedstock
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What is the role of Shell BioLNG in the net zero decarbonization ambition by 2050?
Shell’s ambition is to offer carbon neutral LNG by 2025. We believe that the growing transport sector will have space for a range of solutions. There is broad agreement among experts including IEA* that LNG or bioLNG is currently the only viable and mature solution to decarbonize long haul heavy road transport in the near-term. Today solutions such as wired trucks, hydrogen or e-fuels are currently either too costly or technically still not mature enough. In the medium term these solutions may develop, and we collaborate for example with OEMs like MAN on H2-solutions to drive this forward.
We fully support the implementation of hydrogen and electric as evidenced by the work we do in that area. At the same time, we believe we cannot wait for these longer-term solutions and want to act on decarbonisation now. Carbon neutral LNG using biomethane provides one of the best ways to do this in an affordable, credible and scalable way.
We believe that Shell BioLNG can help meet a range of customers’ decarbonisation goals as it offers the potential to achieve from partial decarbonisationto carbon neutrality of heavy-duty transport. This makes Shell BioLNG an attractive value proposition. Good value propositions mean good business. At the same time, it is another step that we are taking to fulfil our commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of our products.
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What is the emission profile of Shell BioLNG x fossil LNG?
BioLNG emits negligible SOx or particulate matters when burnt and reduces CO2 emissions. Compared to Euro VI diesel engines, there are up to 90% savings on particulate matters and up to 50% savings on NOx emissions (on a well-to wheels basis) when compared to fossil fuels. The amount of CO2 reduction is dependent upon the feedstock used to produce the biomethane. BioLNG can even be carbon negative depending on the feedstock used. For example, biomethane produced from manure is recognised on the balance sheet according to the EU-Renewable Energy Directive with -88 gCO2e/MJ because natural methane emissions from manure are avoided.
Fossil LNG – often referred to as grey LNG - has a carbon intensity of 74g CO2/MJ. (For comparison: Diesel has a carbon intensity of 94g CO2/MJ.)
For the agricultural feedstock Shell imports from Sweden, the CO2 reduction was 85% in comparison to diesel. Shell aims for full carbon-neutrality – i.e. 0 g CO2 eq/MJ - throughout its expanded network of LNG stations, which means a supply chain that combines green and grey LNG in a way so we achieve carbon-neutrality in our network. This ensures the best balance between reducing CO2 emissions in transport, and being able to ensure supply chain robustness, to ensure customers always have carbon neutral LNG available whenever, and wherever, they need it.
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When is something carbon neutral, what does it mean?
If a fuel is carbon neutral, it means that during the production of the fuel as much CO2 is captured from the atmosphere as there is emitted during combustion of the fuel.
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What is the carbon intensity from feedstocks of Shell BioLNG?
Shell aims to source sustainable biomethane produced from organic feedstock that meets several sustainability criteria like low carbon-intensity, animal welfare, sustainable land-use and alike. As such, Shell prefers biomethane produced from manure to leverage advantages such as very low to negative carbon-intensity and contributing to waste avoidance. In European markets, Shell follows the mandatory guideline set by the Renewable Energy Directive and Shell ensures the feedstock is certified as sustainable.
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What is RED II compliance?
The RED II (Renewable Energy Directive) established an overall policy for the production and promotion of energy renewable sources in the European Union.
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Is there enough Biomass RED II Compliant?
Biogas production is widespread and established in Germany. Around 8,500 biogas plants produce biogas for coupled electricity and heat generation. In around 200 plants, biogas is processed into biomethane and then fed into the gas grid (DBFZ 2017; dena* 2018). The biomethane fed in is taken from the gas grid on the balance sheet and is mainly used for coupled electricity and heat generation (dena 2018). For the production of biogas, mainly renewable raw materials such as maize and cereals and to a lesser extent manure, agricultural residues, municipal and industrial biowaste are used.
According to dena, the potential for substrates that can be used for the production of advanced fuels according to Annex IX Part A RED2 is 168-218 PJ and is largely undeveloped. These include manure, solid manure, municipal biowaste and straw, but also numerous residues from milk processing as well as paper and pulp production.
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What can Shell provide as evidence of carbon savings to customers?
Shell with provide a statement of carbon savings and customers can send independent auditors to control the process.
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How is the carbon intensity calculated and compared against?
Carbon intensity is calculated basis an ISCC audited well to wheel carbon footprint methodology leading to a final accredited carbon intensity (ISCC).
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What is the difference in CO2 reduction calculating bioLNG/LNG tank-to-wheel versus well-to-wheel?
Well-to-wheel takes the entire supply chain including combustion on the engine into the calculation whereas tank-to-wheel only considers the truck combustion and performance.
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How does the calculation work for higher blends to dedicated customers?
The standard network blend will be taken as a basis for the calculation and will be topped up with additional bioLNG allocation to reach the agreed savings.
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What does CO2 equivalent mean?
A carbon dioxide equivalent or CO2 equivalent, abbreviated as CO2-eq is a metric measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases on the basis of their global-warming potential (GWP), by converting amounts of other gases to the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide with the same global warming potential.
The BioLNG Market
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What does the bioLNG fuel market look like?
The bioLNG market is a very nascent industry. Shell takes a leading position to develop the bioLNG market for road.
Several projects have been announced where other market players are also starting to develop a supply chain for bioLNG.
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What are the possible routes to bring Shell BioLNG to the market
Shell currently sees 3 different routes to market for Shell BioLNG:
- On-site Liquefaction:
Biomethane is liquefied right after the production process. The liquefaction is happing on-site of the Biomethane production. Typically, on-site liquefaction is happening with smaller liquefaction units as they only liquefy the biomethane from one single biomethane production unit.
- Central Liquefaction:
Biomethane is transported via the gas grid to a central liquefaction plant where the BioLNG production is happening. Central liquefaction units are usually bigger units as they are collecting the biomethane from different Biomethane production units.
Energy System Liquefaction:
Biomethane is injected into the gas grid which corresponds volume wise and energy wise with the LNG that is sold to customers. The process of liquefying the biomethane can be skipped but the CO2 savings from the Biomethane injected into the gas grid, I.e. into the energy system, will be allocated to the customer. - On-site Liquefaction:
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What is the scope of the BioLNG EuroNet project?
BioLNG EuroNet has three specific deliverables that will be co-funded by the European Commission:
39 Shell LNG fuelling stations in Europe, for Europe
Shell will build a pan-European network of sites in Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain (with DISA). These fuelling points will be deployed on existing diesel sites, on or near key locations on the main TransEuropean Transport Network (TEN-T core network) nodes and corridors (from the Atlantic to the North Sea-Baltic corridors). This will provide an LNG fuelling site approximately every 400 km.2,000 heavy duty European LNG trucks.Scania and IVECO will be offering competitive financing and trucking solutions to help facilitate the transition from diesel to LNG.
1 BioLNG production facility
Nordsol will build a new plant that will process waste to produce biomethane.
For further information, please visit the bioLNG website. https://biolngeuronet.eu/
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What is the link between Shell and Nordsol? How sustainable is the bioLNG produced and are there any waste streams? What is the feedstock used in Nordsol?
Nordsol, Renewi and Shell have joined forces to collectively contribute to the energy transition in the transport sector. Each party has its own role in the collaboration. Renewi collects organic waste in the Netherlands from the food industry, the catering industry and retail. Renewi converts the biomass into biogas in a digester. Nordsol then turns it into bioLNG on-site. Shell in turn invests in the development of Nordsol and ensures that the fuel eventually ends up in the customer’s tank at the gas station.
In the Nordsol installation, the biogas extracted from organic waste is converted into bioLNG and liquid bio-CO2, a transparent and fair supply chain. Biogas consists of approximately 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide (CO2). The technology makes it possible to efficiently separate pure methane from the biogas and liquefy it into bioLNG. The CO2 by-product is reused in the market and therefore ensures an additional CO2 emission reduction. This leads to a 100% CO2 neutral fuel.
Renewi collects organic waste throughout the Netherlands, such as expired products, processes this waste and converts it into biogas during its fermentation
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Can Shell physically offer bioLNG to customers?
Fossil LNG and bioLNG are physically and chemically identical fuels and can be blended together. The goal is to be offering only molecules coming from biomethane i.e. physical bioLNG. For now, Shell will start blending smaller volumes and scaling them up over time to achieve a carbon neutral fuel. This is called a mass balancing approach.
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What is the difference between physical and mass balancing approach?
Shell aims to source as much sustainable biomethane produced from organic feedstock as possible that meets several sustainability criteria like low (negative) carbon-intensity, animal welfare, sustainable land-use and alike. Biomethane supplies produced from such preferred feedstock is still limited and therefore Shell may need to use some fossil LNG in order to balance supply and demand in the supply chain.
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Can I also get only physical BioLNG?
No, unfortunately it is not yet possible to psychically refuel 100% bioLNG at the LNG locations in Europe. Ultimately, our ambition is to have this realized around 2025.
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When can other customers / markets get bioLNG?
Shell is continuously developing bioLNG supply opportunities across Europe. Timing depends on development of local regulation and route to market.
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How much bioLNG is blended into the Dutch LNG network, and does that mean each station has the same volume?
We will blend Shell bioLNG into the Dutch network to be able to offer further CO2 savings into the market, this saving includes transport to our LNG sites and site operations in NL. This can physically differ per station depending on optimization of supply into the network.
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Will import become a natural part of Shell’s supply strategy or even replace plans for domestic supply chain?
Shell is exploring various supply options to bring bioLNG into the market. Importing bioLNG can become a relevant supply opportunity. However, it is important to develop supply points in line with bioLNG demand and Shell is always interested in optimising the entire supply chain.
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What support is arranged by the Dutch government for bioLNG (excise duty/subsidy)?
The government stimulates bioLNG through the Vamil scheme and through the bioLNG incentive scheme in 2021. Shell is part of the bioLNG platform which is advocating for zero tax on bioLNG for the future.
Costs
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Do customers pay a premium for Shell BioLNG?
Shell BioLNG will be priced competitively.
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I do not want/need bioLNG so why would I pay for it?
We offer Shell BioLNG at competitive prices to diesel and see this as an opportunity for our customers to offer cleaner fuel to their customers. We see this as a game changer in the market as part of the energy transition.
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I drive only Volvo trucks, so my savings should be higher.
Our calculation is based on well-to-wheel performance standards set by RED and NGVA. For specific routes and engines, we can calculate specific emission profiles, but this will not be part of our standard offer.
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