Element Markets Renewable Energy’s Agreement with Monarch Bioenergy extended for Five Additional Years
Element Markets Renewable Energy (EMRE) has been awarded a five-year contract by Monarch Bioenergy (Monarch)—a joint venture between Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE). The contract names EMRE as the exclusive marketer for the renewable natural gas (RNG) produced at Monarch’s biomethane production facilities in northern Missouri. Monarch converts hog manure collected from Smithfield Hog Production farms in that state into RNG, while simultaneously delivering ecological services and developing wildlife habitat. Through this joint venture, all Smithfield company-owned finishing farms in Missouri will have the infrastructure to produce RNG, resulting in approximately 1.3 million dekatherms annually once complete, which is the equivalent to eliminating 130,000 gasoline vehicles from the road.
“At Smithfield, our carbon reduction and renewable energy efforts play a powerful role in helping us feed the world’s growing population in a responsible way,” said Kraig Westerbeek, senior director of Smithfield Renewables and hog production environmental affairs for Smithfield Foods. “But we know that we can’t do it alone, and we look to partner with other industry leaders such as RAE and EMRE. This agreement is an example of how collaboration can create both business value and a more sustainable supply chain.”
By Element Markets