In partnership with Schmidt and Swedavia, the Volvo Group announced it is participating in a field test to trial a biogas-fueled snow sweeper.

The vehicle is equipped with two, nine-liter Volvo engines fueled by biogas combined with conventional diesel, which may ultimately be replaced by biodiesel, enabling entirely carbon-neutral driving, the company said.

The state-owned company Swedavia aims to make all of its 14 airports in Sweden carbon-neutral in terms of upkeep and maintenance. Daily operations involve the deployment of a fleet of machinery comprising Volvo products featuring customized equipment, including snow removal machines that keep the runways clear of snow.

In partnership with the German customer Schmidt, the Volvo Group has developed a snow sweeper that uses Volvo engines fueled by a mixture of compressed methane and diesel.

"We have combined the superior efficiency of a diesel engine with the advantages of biogas. This has resulted in an engine that is significantly more energy-efficient than traditional gas-powered engines in which the biogas combusts in an Otto cycle," said Inge Horkeby, director environmental affairs AB Volvo.

The test vehicle's cab unit is the front section of an A25E articulated hauler from Volvo Construction Equipment, equipped with a nine-liter diesel engine converted to gas. In the rear section a similar engine from Volvo Penta is used to power a roller brush and a snow-blower unit that expels the remaining snow.

The snow sweeper will be handed over to Swedavia at Arlanda Airport Stockholm and shortly thereafter be transported to Kiruna Airport where field tests will be conducted. The vehicle will initially be powered by at least 50-percent biogas combined with conventional diesel.

The Volvo Group, Göteborg, Sweden, is a leading manufacturer of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, and aerospace components.