At least that’s what Olof Hjelm, professor of Environmental Technology and Management, believes. The knowledge of how to produce biogas efficiently — from operational details to its integration into broader societal systems — is what LiU researchers aim to develop into a structured concept. The idea is that this concept could be exported.
“The core idea is a so-called triple helix model, where government, industry, and academia collaborate to achieve shared goals, and where academia contributes with innovation, development, and expertise,” says Olof Hjelm.
In the spring of 2025, it was confirmed that Lagos, Nigeria — one of the world’s largest cities with 17.5 million inhabitants — plans to purchase 2,000 gas-powered buses from Scania. The city has conducted study visits in Linköping and explored the potential of producing biogas from the massive amounts of organic waste that are currently being landfilled in Nigeria.
Lagos generates around 7,000 tons of organic waste every day. A shift in the city's public transport system could enable biogas production from that waste, creating immediate practical use for the gas.
We’re not the only ones who produce biogas. But we’re good at it.
“It’s crucial, from an educational standpoint, to show how waste can be transformed into value. The link between an apple core in the trash and biogas powering a bus is motivating. That’s something Linköping has been able to demonstrate through years of operating biogas buses,” says Olof Hjelm, professor of Environmental Technology and Management.
Why not export entire biogas plants?
“That’s certainly possible. We’re not alone in producing biogas, but we are good at it. Other countries will need technical consultants and operations engineers. And here in Linköping, we can showcase the full system from the green waste bag to biogas. Or from farming to biogas production, and then digestate back to agriculture,” says Olof Hjelm.
“Swedish solutions can help improve the efficiency of existing biogas plants in other parts of the world and support the construction of new ones where they’re truly needed,” he adds.
Many large countries around the world could benefit from biogas production. For example, researchers Hanna Zanatta and Wisdom Kanda at Linköping University (LiU) are currently studying the potential in Brazil, a country with vast resources but minimal biogas production.
Strong opportunities in Europe, too
Even though Nigeria is a current focus, Olof Hjelm believes Sweden can also export biogas solutions much closer to home.
“There are promising conditions in Europe, where many countries are now looking to both increase their energy production and better manage their waste. There could be many advantages to focusing on nearby countries. For instance, it makes travel and collaboration easier. Nigeria is a great example. There, a major company like Scania has taken the lead, which gives weight and credibility to the biogas initiative.”
By studying past experiences across industry, government, and academia, Hjelm hopes to develop a Swedish export concept together with other key players.
What are the challenges?
“One challenge is convincing Swedish public actors and companies that there’s value in hosting study visits from other countries even if those countries end up choosing a supplier from somewhere else. It’s our know-how in efficient gas production, and our holistic view — from waste collection to digestate refinement — that can make us stand out,” says Olof Hjelm.
What are your hopes for the future of biogas?
“Biogas production is a relatively simple technology that can then be refined further. The most important thing is that the technology is used. It’s a great way to manage organic waste and it brings so many added values. Whether the profits go to German, Polish, or Brazilian companies doesn’t really matter. It would be a shame if biogas and our knowledge of how to produce it doesn’t get used in the future.”
