RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.National Movement to Turn Food Waste Into Renewable Energy Gains Momentum
Chobani, Kikkoman Foods Inc., Schreiber Foods, Hillebrand, and Polar Beverages are the latest food and beverage companies to join the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance (FPSA), a collaborative movement to boost food waste reduction and recycling, and expand renewable energy production across America. The Alliance, founded in 2020 by Vanguard Renewables, Unilever, Starbucks, and Dairy Farmers of America aims to avoid or eliminate food waste first and repurpose what can’t be eliminated into renewable energy via farm-based anaerobic digesters.
“The FPSA is a group of like-minded companies committed to doing their part to help mitigate the climate crisis, and we look forward to working with our newest FPSA members to achieve our shared sustainability goals, to divert inedible organic waste and turn that into renewable natural gas,” said Neil H. Smith, CEO, Vanguard Renewables.
Turning Waste into Fuel: Using Landfill Gas to Power Refuse Fleets with Renewable Natural Gas
One glance at the fuel prices these days creates a concern for the sustainability and realities of fossil fuel options. As diesel fuel prices continue to rise, refuse collection businesses are increasingly looking into alternatives such as compressed natural gas (CNG), renewable natural gas (RNG), and liquified natural gas (LNG).
The benefits of these options in terms of cost and sustainability make them attractive options for refuse fleets looking to save money and reduce their environmental impact. OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have been emphasizing the importance of alternative fuels for years, and this is likely to continue as the market for alternative fuels grows.
Commentary: New York's New Climate Change Plan Would Be Devastating for Many Businesses
Business owners are a strong breed. We have faced many unexpected challenges recently, from COVID-19 lockdowns to an unsteady reopening, labor shortages, supply chain issues, and rising energy prices. We’re ready to tackle whatever new challenge comes our way, but our leaders shouldn’t be making things harder for businesses without first making sure there is no better path forward.
Unfortunately, the Climate Action Council, or CAC, which is charged with crafting a plan to meet New York’s climate goals, is doing just that. The CAC has created a Draft Scoping Plan without adequately studying the impacts on businesses or preparing a plan to ensure reliable, affordable heat and electric power to all New Yorkers. This has resulted in a draft plan that would have devastating impacts on our economy and communities across the state.
Montauk Renewables Announces Filing of Provisional Patent Application for New Acid Neutralization Technology
Montauk Renewables, Inc., a renewable energy company specializing in the management, recovery and conversion of biogas into renewable natural gas (“RNG”), announced the Company has filed a provisional patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) pertaining to a combustion based oxygen removal condensate neutralization technology.
The patent application is directed to a new acid neutralization technology that is a critical and integral component in eliminating the harmful acidic condensate that is produced when wastewater is removed from the biogas conversion process. Without a mitigating measure, high acidity can result in expenses of hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage associated with the processing facility components as well as downtime for equipment replacement and troubleshooting. The Company has identified a successful demonstration of a reduction in unfavourable pH condensate through the considerable testing that has been completed to-date. The filing of this provisional patent application aligns to Montauk’s continued efforts to deploy technology within the Company’s existing portfolio for landfill biogas recovery.
Sustainable Solutions Through Manure Management
More than 250 dairies across the U.S. use some type of anaerobic digester system to generate electricity or renewable natural gas (RNG). The technology adds a revenue stream for the farm, aids in manure management and community relations, provides lower carbon fertilizer options and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, all of which enhance sustainability efforts.
In 2016, Adam Graft, a dairy farmer and veterinarian from Americus, Ga., had his sights set on a high-input, high-output digester to manage manure and reduce odor. Three years later, midway through the engineering and permitting phase to add a D3 RIN digester, he was hit with a Clean Water Act lawsuit from his neighbors. The complaint brought against Graft cited water quality concerns and noxious odors.
Commentary: Renewable Natural Gas and the Need for Clean Domestic Energy
The importance of energy independence has been a topic of discussion for decades. Unfortunately, the conversation has too often been placed on the backburner as other issues divert our attention. The current geopolitical situation has once again put the need for domestic energy sources back in the forefront, however, and we must face this issue and act now.
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and the rest of the world are witnessing firsthand the need to reduce reliance on other nations for energy. Investing in our own domestic sources is essential to making our economy and country more secure. And as we steer our focus toward domestic resources, we must also do so through a sustainable lens.
3Degrees' Creative Project Financing and Transportation Market Expertise Enable the Repower of Washington State Digester Project
3Degrees, a firm that helps organizations achieve renewable energy and decarbonization goals, announced the recent completion of a critical investment to repower a manure digester project at Edaleen Dairy, a family-operated farm in Lynden, Washington.
3Degrees worked with Regenis, a dairy digester operator committed to both planetary protection and family farmer livelihood, and Edaleen Dairy to co-finance a new engine and generator to keep the digester power project online and avoid potent methane emissions.
Metro Vancouver’s Lulu Island Sewage Heat Recovery Project Receives Federal Funding
A new project at Metro Vancouver’s Lulu Island Wastewater Treatment Plant will recover heat from treated sewage for use in plant operations, while increasing renewable natural gas production and helping to support regional climate action goals.
This clean energy initiative is possible thanks to support from the federal and provincial governments through the second intake of the CleanBC Communities Fund, under the green infrastructure stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
Archaea Signs 5-Year Renewable Natural Gas Agreement with UGI Utilities, Inc.
Archaea Energy Inc. announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Archaea Energy Marketing LLC has entered into a medium-term RNG purchase and sale agreement with UGI Utilities, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based natural gas and electric utility.
Under the agreement, which was recently signed and received the necessary regulatory approvals, UGI Utilities will purchase 331,785 MMBtu of RNG generated by Archaea annually from its Assai RNG facility for a fixed fee for a period of 5 years. Deliveries under the agreement commenced on July 1, 2022.
Vanguard Renewables CEO on $700M Sale to BlackRock, Digester Expansion and Landfill Competition
Vanguard Renewables was already the largest anaerobic digester operator in the U.S. market. News of its sale to a fund managed by BlackRock Real Assets is seen as a way to drastically expand that position to upward of 150 sites.
The deal, valued at $700 million according to sources, will lead to BlackRock investing an estimated $2 billion in growing Vanguard’s portfolio of sites. Since it was founded in 2014, the Massachusetts-based company has built six Northeast digesters that codigest food and farm waste through its Vanguard Organics division. This new capital is expected to fund the expansion of 60 to 70 new digesters in that division across the country. Vanguard is also partnered with Dominion Energy to develop, construct and operate manure-based digesters.
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