News
24 September 2014

WLPGA members Prins Autogassystemen and German LPG Association present Biopropane option: First Biopropane on the way in Europe

LP Gas is now also available as a bio-option and can be produced from renewable raw materials.

During the Automechanika trade fair in Frankfurt earlier this month, WLPGA members Prins Autogassystemen and DVFG (the German LPG Association) announced the production of Biopropane, produced from renewable materials.

Prins presented their latest system technologies including their VSI-2.0, VSI-2.0 DI, Prins Direct LiquiMax- 2.0 and Dieselblend-2.0, which support further reductions of particulate and CO2 emissions. “What is particular about this is that with the right software strategy we can adapt our new systems“, explains Bart van Aerle, CEO of Prins. “These can also run with biopropane, which would further minimise the CO2 emissions“, Aerle confirms.

This autumn the company Neste Oil will begin construction of a plant for the provision of biopropane from renewable raw materials. As Neste Oil guest speaker Sebastian Dörr explained, a side product of Neste Oil renewable diesel production, the biopropane will be purified and separated from the side stream gases produced at the company’s refinery through the new plant in order to make it suitable for use in existing liquefied petroleum gas applications. Production is scheduled to start at the end of 2016 and is expected to total 30,000-40,000 t/a.

“With liquefied petroleum gas from renewable raw materials the market gained a high-quality and sustainable energy carrier which can be used as fuel or for heating gas“, says Dr Andreas Stücke, Managing Director of the German LPG Association during the Automechanika trade fair. “Especially with a view to the climate goals of the Federal Government, the CO2 reduction potential of biopropane is very valuable“, Stücke added.

Traditional liquefied petroleum gas already burns CO2 at a reduced rate and with almost zero pollutants. Biopropane reduces CO2 emissions by 50 percent compared to traditional liquefied petroleum gas. In the transport sector, a blending of ten percent biopropane would provide the possibility to reduce CO2 emissions by an additional five percent. This would allow LPG fueled vehicles to reduce CO2 emissions by around 20 percent compared to petrol-driven vehicles.

Prins Autogassystemen

Prins Autogassystemen B.V. has been leading the development of alternative fuel systems globally for almost 30 years. Prins is known to producers, importers and converters for its extraordinary quality, its cost-efficiency and its innovative solutions for a high number of engines available on the market today. Prins Autogassystemen is winner of the Automechanika Innovation Award and the Green Directory Award 2012.  For more information visit www.prinsautogas.com.

DVFG:  The German LPG Association

The German LPG Association (DVFG), headquartered in Berlin, represents German based LPG supplying businesses. The association has 42 members and 72 extraordinary members. The total LPG output for 2013 amounted to 3.6 Million tons with an increase of 5.2 percent compared to the previous year. DVFG is a member of WLPGA. For more information visit www.dvfg.de.

Neste Oil

Neste Oil Corporation is a refining and marketing company concentrating on low-emissions, high-quality traffic fuels. The company produces a comprehensive range of major petroleum products and is the world’s leading supplier of renewable diesel. Neste Oil had net sales of EUR 17.5 billion in 2013, employs around 5,000 people, and is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.  Neste Oil is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, and has featured in The Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable corporations for many years. Forest Footprint Disclosure (FFD) has ranked Neste Oil as one of the best performers in the oil & gas sector. For more information visit www.nesteoil.com.