RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.Harnessing Biogas to Grow a Value Chain for Farms
This year, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $10 million grant to C-CHANGE, a partnership of organizations working to address challenges and develop new methods of turning biomass and manure into fuel. C-CHANGE is the Consortium for Cultivating Human and Natural reGenerative Enterprise.
The consortium includes Iowa State University, Penn State University, Roeslein Alternative Energy, and many others.
By Megan Schilling, Successful Farming
Visalia tech converts dairy air into low-emission fuel
A Visalia company has successfully converted cow manure into a renewable natural gas.
California Bioenergy, LLC (CalBio), based in Visalia, announced on Sept. 24 it had successfully achieved the first renewable natural gas (RNG) production from manure stored at dairy farms in Kern County.
“This technology will de-carbonize transportation fuels in the state,” CalBio CEO N. Russ Buckenham said. “When you run a heavy duty truck on RNG, it’s 90% cleaner than running that truck on diesel. And there are a lot of diesel trucks running up and down Highway 99. It’s a terrific benefit to cleaning the air and cleaning the sky.”
By Reggie Ellis, SG News
Missoula County backs Republic Services’ proposed gas-to-power project at landfill
A proposal to convert methane gas from the Missoula landfill to clean electricity won the official support of Missoula County on Tuesday.
While details are few and the project isn’t yet firm, county officials said the proposal by Republic Services would go far in helping the Missoula urban area achieve its goals of operating off 100% clean electricity by 2035.
“Republic has discussed this possibility in the past with some of the electric co-operatives as possible off-takers of that electricity,” said Diana Maneta, the county’s energy conservation and sustainability coordinator. “This would be supportive of the city and county’s joint goal of 100% clean electricity.”
Republic Services operates 75 renewable energy projects across the country, according to the company. Its 68 gas-to-energy projects at various landfills generate enough renewable energy to fully power more than 250,000 homes each year.
By Martin Kidston, Missoula Current
Fleets Find ‘Near-Zero’ Trucks Close Enough to Perfect for Now
Holding off for zero-emission electric vehicles may not always be worth the wait, as trucking fleets of all sizes have found that ‘near-zero’ alternative fuels, including compressed natural gas (CNG), renewable natural gas (RNG), and propane, can provide immediate value to fuel costs and the environment.
Experts representing small, medium, and large fleets spoke about those advantages, along with how to mitigate any disadvantages, during a propane and natural gas opportunities panel at the ACT Virtual Ultra Clean HD Vehicle Summit on Oct. 13. Speakers included Scott Phillippi, senior director of automotive maintenance at UPS; Eric McCann, technical fleet manager at Bimbo Bakeries; and Lisa McAbee, owner of McAbee Trucking, a small contractor for the U.S. Postal Service based in South Carolina.
By John Hitch, Fleet Owner
EPA: 1.63 Billion RINs Generated in September
The U.S. EPA released data in mid-October showing 1.63 billion RINs were generated under the Renewable Fuel Standard in September, up from 1.61 billion generated during the same month of last year.
More than 45.45 million D3 cellulosic biofuel RINs were generated in September, including 35.32 million generated for compressed renewable natural gas (RNG) by domestic producers, 7.23 million generated for liquefied RNG by domestic producers, 2.79 million generated for compressed RNG by importers, and 114,746 generated for cellulosic ethanol by domestic producers.
By Erin Voegele, Biomass Magazine
Government of Alberta puts $10 Million into Lacombe Biorefinery
“The Lacombe Biorefinery is a leading-edge example of Alberta innovation in action. The province is fast becoming a hub for projects that process waste while creating more value for key industries like livestock and farming, and substantially reduce emissions,” Alberta Minister of Environment and Parks Jason Nixon said in a statement.
The Lacombe Biorefinery will be the first facility in the world to showcase the full application of a technology called BioRefinex thermal hydrolysis, which uses high heat, high pressure and water to turn animal and plant waste from agriculture and food processing into organic fertilizer and renewable natural gas.
By DCN-JOC News Services
Veolia and Waga Energy Launch Landfill-Gas Recovery Unit in France
Veolia (Paris) and Waga Energy S.A. (Meylan, France) have launched the construction of WagaBox, a unit recovering biomethane from landfill waste. WagaBox will be installed in Île-de-France at the Claye-Souilly landfill to supply renewable gas to 20,000 homes in the Paris region from February 2022. It will contribute to the fight against global warming by replacing natural gas with green and local energy (biomethane).
WagaBox is a breakthrough technology for recovering biogas from landfill waste. It combines two advanced technologies (membrane filtration and cryogenic distillation), it separates methane from other components and provides 98% pure biomethane. The biomethane will then be injected into GRDF’s natural gas distribution network to supply individuals and businesses in Paris. With 25,000 tons of CO2 avoided per year, it contributes to the local energy loop and the region’s ecological transformation. From 2022 and for 15 years, this site will generate 120 GWh of gas per year, making it the second largest project in France, and the largest green gas production capacity from a non-hazardous waste storage facility in Europe. This is equivalent to the needs of 20,000 households powered by green and local energy.
By Mary Page Bailey , Chemical Engineering
U.S. Gain Expands its RNG Development Portfolio with New AD Facility
U.S. Gain has built an anaerobic digester at Deer Run Dairy in Appleton, Wisconsin, to transform animal waste into clean, low-carbon fuel for the transport sector.
Renewable natural gas (RNG) production offers Deer Run Dairy the opportunity to improve its manure management practices from its herd of 1,700 milking cows.
The RNG produced at Deer Run Dairy will be transported into a new decanting facility constructed by U.S. Gain at Holsum Dairy in Hilbert, Wisconsin, where it will be injected into the natural gas pipeline.
Nacelle Solutions, a major technology and service firm specialising in gas conditioning and advancement of the energy and biogas industries, was a key partner to U.S. Gain in bringing the project online.
U.S. Gain’s RNG director of business development, Hardy Sawall, said: “We’ve developed a great relationship with Deer Run Dairy over the years and are pleased to work with them on this opportunity, especially given the benefits their farm will receive.
By BioEnergy Insight
Arizona Cities Defend Progress After Slipping in Clean Energy Ranking
Local officials pushed back this week against a new report that showed three Arizona cities slipping in a national ranking on clean-energy policies, saying the report does not appear to reflect their clean- and renewable-energy efforts.
The 2020 City Clean Energy Scorecard, released last week by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, scores the 100 largest cities in the country in five categories ranging from local government to energy and water utilities.
Phoenix finished 19th in the ranking, while Tucson was 68th and Mesa was 76th – all three slightly lower rankings than the cities got on 2019’s scorecard.
By Claire Chandler, Cronkite News
Meet the Dairy Firm Hoping to Power its Delivery Trucks Using Cow Manure
Like many large businesses, dairy company Arla Foods has grand plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and the firm aims to be carbon net zero by 2050.
Around 85% of Arla’s total emissions come from the co-operative of 10,000 farms it has across Europe, a combination of the methane and nitrous oxide from the cows themselves, as well as from the fuel needed for milking and other operations.
It is hoping one of the ways it will get there is by harnessing one of its most readily-available resources: the manure produced by the half a million cows on its U.K. farms alone.
By Lucy Handley, CNBC
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