How is sustainable public transport in Spain: these are the options that exist (and those that will arrive)

Buses that run on fuels produced from vegetable oil, hydrogen-powered taxis, planes flying on biofuel made from waste, or ships sailing on solar energy. Public transport is not only contributing to decarbonisation, but also by resorting to various alternatives.

Are you still part of that percentage of the population that considers electrification to be the only way to decarbonize mobility? The truth is that there are (almost) as many alternatives as means of transport and the peculiarities of each of them have a lot to do with the solutions they propose and their way of adapting technologically to the process.

Public services are no exception. For buses, metro or taxis it is already a reality, while others such as trains, planes or boats begin to try different options. From synthetic fuels to hydrogen cells, through biofuels or 100% electric technology: the possibilities are almost endless for a reality that is unstoppable. This is the public transport that already works today or will do so soon.

01 BUS: FROM RENEWABLE FUELS TO ELECTRICITY VIA SLURRY

The bus is one of the first means of transport that initiated its change of energy paradigm. In fact, the use of renewable fuels is already a reality in some Spanish municipalities.

An example is found on the route between Zaragoza and Cuarte de Huerva, where the Government of Aragon uses biogas, that is, biomethane from slurry, in two of the buses that cover this route, the most used of the metropolitan interurban, with 480,000 passengers per year.

In Bilbao, during tests carried out by Repsol and Alsa between June and September 2021, a dozen city buses used 120 cubic meters of HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil). The project resulted in a reduction of approximately 300 tonnes of CO2 emissions during the period in which it was carried out and demonstrated that biofuels produced from waste can be part of the solution to achieve the decarbonisation of transport.

Likewise, electric buses are already a reality in cities such as Barcelona or San Sebastian, where the Spanish company Irizar has put into operation two and three 100% electric buses, respectively. Each of these vehicles, which have a range of between 160 and 250 kilometers, represents an annual reduction of 88 tons of CO2 emissions and a saving of 33,000 liters of fuel. In addition, they are silent, so they also contribute to reducing noise pollution.

02 TAXI: RENEWABLE HYDROGEN TO MOVE AROUND THE CITY

No one is surprised to see electric and hybrid taxis or VTCs in Spanish cities, but, until now, hydrogen-powered vehicles were not common, something that will happen in the capital from this year.

The Professional Taxi Federation of Madrid has launched the ‘as-a-service’ project so that drivers can make use of this sustainable alternative at a competitive cost and without initial outlays.

In this sense, the 15,000 self-employed taxi drivers in Madrid can benefit from the regional executive’s line of aid for electric mobility and, at the same time, add to the 10% extra help offered to taxis and VTC. To ensure that the adoption rate is high, the Madrid Government has budgeted this aid at 53 million euros.

03 TRAIN: HYDROGEN BATTERIES THAT CHARGE UNDER BRAKING

Hydrogen is also gaining ground in the railway sector. This is demonstrated by the launch last August of the first train in the world that works with this technology to replace diesel. It happened in Germany, on the Bremervörde route, in Lower Saxony.

In Spain, Talgo leads the research with its ‘Vittal-One’ train that uses hydrogen cells. Hydrogen is used to power the propulsion systems, but the system is also complemented by batteries that increase the acceleration available at starts, taking advantage of the braking of the train to recharge.

“In our country there are still many diesel-powered trains and this option allows us to continue decarbonizing rail transport. In addition, we can become a powerhouse in the production, distribution and use of this energy for mobility and other industries.” In fact, the firm will have its hydrogen train ready in 2023, born in collaboration with Repsol, which is providing the renewable hydrogen generation infrastructure and the electricity supply to the train.

04 AIRCRAFT: AVIATION FUEL WITH UP TO 63% IN SAF

The use of renewable fuels in aviation is a reality in our country since last year Iberia operated the first flight of its kind between Madrid and Bilbao, which meant a reduction in emissions of 1.4 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. In this case, the aircraft is powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) developed by Repsol from waste.

The Refuel EU Aviation initiative, as part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package proposed by the European Commission, includes specific measures for air transport. It aims for all EU flights to use a minimum SAF content of 2% by 2025, 5% by 2030 and at least 63% by 2050. In this way, it is intended to reduce the environmental footprint of aviation, aligning with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal, and all without altering the profitability of the market.

In the same vein, aircraft manufacturers are already exploring the possibilities offered by hydrogen to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in air transport. This is the case of Airbus, which plans to manufacture by 2035 an aircraft that works completely with this technology. From the company they assure that this plane, which they call ZEROe, will not use fuel cell technology, but that they intend to modify “the burner, the fuel system and the control system of a GE Passport turboprop to run on hydrogen”.

05 MARITIME TRANSPORT: FROM BIOMETHANE TO ELECTRICITY

Spanish maritime transport is already exploring the possibilities of renewable fuels on the ground by making real journeys.

Without going any further, last year, the shipping company Baleària operated a route of 133 nautical miles between the cities of Barcelona and Ciutadella, in Menorca, using exclusively biomethane, with which it avoided the emission of 50 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. This ferry also has dual gas engines and electrical connection to port.

In the same line, a passenger catamaran built by the company Metaltec Naval already connects the municipality of Camargo with Santander, operating entirely with electric propulsion powered by solar panels. This is the Ecobus Boat, protagonist of the Bahia Zero initiative.

06 METRO: OPERATIONS, MORE EFFICIENT

The options for a means of transport that is already electric to be more sustainable are to decarbonize the origin of its energy or consume less quantity.

In Malaga, Murcia, Bilbao and Barcelona they have opted to contract electricity from 100% renewable sources. Thus, during this year and the next, the metro network of the city will consume 275 gigawatts per hour per year, always of renewable origin. Other transport operators are added to this measure, since the electricity supply contract, resolved by Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona, has been carried out after a joint tender process with Metro Bilbao, Metro Málaga and Sociedad Concesionaria Tranvía de Murcia.

In the case of Madrid, the sustainability of the metro does not necessarily necessarily involve a change in the energy source, but an improvement in the efficiency of its operations. The Energy Saving Plan (PAE), in fact, includes measures such as disconnection of electrical substations at off-peak hours, elimination of track magnets, air conditioning in tunnels, use of energy generated during braking, etc., causing progressive energy savings in recent years.

In short, the decarbonisation of transport should also reach the public sphere, making use of the various options and technologies to pursue a common goal: that public transport in Spain be as sustainable as possible.

Source: El Condifencial