RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.Historic Climate Bill to Supercharge Clean Energy Industry
Senate Democrats delivered a dramatic win for President Joe Biden’s effort to fight climate change on August 7, passing a bill that will devote hundreds of billions of dollars to clean energy sources and speed the U.S. transition away from fossil fuels.
The Inflation Reduction Act, which had appeared to be dead just weeks ago and now heads to the House of Representatives, would accelerate U.S. emission cuts and put the country on a path to reduce greenhouse gases by 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, significantly narrowing the gap with the goal Biden set under the Paris climate agreement to cut that pollution by at least half by that date.
A Vermont Farm's State-of-the-Art Equipment Helps Turn Food Scraps into Energy
A partnership was announced between Vanguard Renewables and the Vermont Creamery. The partnership is just the beginning of what everyone involved hopes to be a great benefit to the environment. “It’s a win-win-win, better for the farmer, better for the market, better for the community,” said Adeline Druart, President of Vermont Creamery.
“We’re taking food waste and cow manure and putting it in these large tanks — think of them as an Instapot,” said John Hanselman, founder of Vanguard Renewables. After a month goes by, the product is ready. “The gas bubbles go to the top, we harvest that gas and clean it and it becomes renewable natural gas," said Hanselman. "Then we’re left with this beautiful organic natural fertilizer that we can bring back to the soil.”
Brightmark, Chevron Announce First Gas at Athena Project in South Dakota
Brightmark RNG Holdings LLC – a joint venture partnership between Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and Brightmark Fund Holdings LLC – delivered first gas at its Athena Project in Minnehaha County, South Dakota. The project is comprised of three dairy farms, and is part of the previously announced partnership to own project companies across the United States to produce and market dairy biomethane, a renewable natural gas.
Methane generated by the manure from the Athena Project is expected to be captured, cleaned, and converted into RNG, which can be used for transportation, cooking, or electricity. The gas is anticipated to be injected into the local interstate pipeline system statewide.
Sapphire Announces Acquisition of CLEANCOR
Sapphire Gas Solutions, a Conroe, Texas-based natural gas solutions provider, announced the acquisition of CLEANCOR Holdings LLC, from SEACOR Holdings Inc.
CLEANCOR is a California-based service provider of compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, renewable natural gas, and hydrogen solutions for industrial, commercial, transportation, and pipeline infrastructure customers across the United States. This move expands Sapphire's footprint into the western United States, and also increases the equipment fleet capacity and provides added service offerings, such as natural gas fueling for the transportation markets.
Greenlane Renewables Announces Further Expansion in South America with New Contract Wins Totaling $13.5 Million
Greenlane Renewables Inc. announced that it has signed new contracts with a combined value of CAD$13.5 million (US$10.5 million) for the supply of its biogas upgrading technology for two landfill gas-to-renewable natural gas projects in South America.
Greenlane will supply two water wash upgrading systems, the largest in its product line, each capable of processing enough landfill gas to produce up to approximately 850,000 MMBTU annually of pipeline specification RNG for commercial use. The project owner and locations have not been disclosed at this time. Greenlane's order fulfillment for both projects will commence immediately.
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.
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