There's still plenty happening at Biofuel Cities

Biofuel Cities is a three year project, due to finish in June 2009. It is run by seven partners, including ICLEI. The project works to support the use of biofuels at a local level across Europe.

As part of Biofuel Cities, ICLEI organises biofuel end-user workshops and study tours, designed to showcase innovative European biofuel projects. The last of these happened in October.

Lack of support
The final end-user workshop took place in Warsaw. One of its most important findings, says Christine, was that many biofuels projects fail to get off the ground because of lack of information and support from the government.

“It was clear that many cities need guidance on how to run biofuels projects,” she says. “What Biofuel Cities has done is present them with good examples so they can see that it is possible to change something. Simply discussing other people’s experiences can be really helpful.”

35 delegates from across Europe attended. The workshop focused on five key topics: challenges and barriers to the implementation of biofuels for transport, opportunities for different end-user groups, sustainability and biofuels, sustainable procurement and tendering, and good practice examples.

Pioneering approach
On October 23rd and 24th, Biofuel Cities took twelve participants from eight European countries to Tübingen for the final study tour. Tübingen’s waste disposal fleet runs on one hundred per cent biodiesel from rape seed oil, which is not only cultivated, but refined and processed in the area. This self-sufficient project is a pioneering approach to bringing biofuels to municipal vehicles.

“What’s happening in Tübingen is a local, closed cycle of biodiesel production and use,” explains Christine. “The rape seed is grown by farmers in the area, refined in a local oil mill, and turned into biodiesel at a nearby plant before it is used by the waste disposal fleet. Producing and using biodiesel in this way benefits the region, supporting local farmers, industry and technology, and freeing it from dependence on external biodiesel sources.”

Tübingen’s citizens and government feel strongly about climate change, says Christine. Although biodiesel is currently more expensive than regular diesel, the city is united in its support of alternative fuels, and a great example to other European cities.

Behind the scenes
So, after wrapping up these final events, what does the next six months hold for Biofuel Cities?

According to Christine, there is still plenty of behind-the-scenes activity to keep the team busy until June. They are currently writing several reports: reports on the end-user workshops and study tours, and a guide on policy measures, procurement and technical facts. All will be published early next year. The team will also continue to produce its monthly e-newsletters and the print newsletter, Biofuel Cities Quarterly, and update ‘who’s who’ reports about biofuel projects and activities in Europe.

Twinning
And, being particularly keen to continue to encourage knowledge sharing and the building of relationships between biofuel projects, Christine will focus her efforts in this area.

“Biofuel Cities has proved that dialogue and the sharing of experiences is a huge support to those just starting out,” she says. “We are keen to encourage ‘twinning’, and are working on a project to help twin cities learn from each other. We’re definitely keeping busy.”