RNG NEWS
EBA Report Sheds Light on the Efforts of the European Biogas Industry To Reduce Methane Emissions With Sustainable Biogas Production
The European Biogas Association (EBA), in collaboration with international biogas experts, is launching a white paper on methane emissions originating from anaerobic digestion (AD) plants to support and advise the industry, European policymakers, and AD operators. “The biogas and biomethane industry is a large net reducer of methane emissions, but a minimal share of fugitive emissions can occur during the biogas production process. The sustainable scale-up of the sector to support the energy transition and reach the 35 bcm biomethane production target by 2030 represents an opportunity for the value chain to achieve efficient plant design and implement leak mitigation strategies.” highlights Giulia Cancian, EBA’s Secretary General.
Biogases have a pivotal role in reducing EU methane emissions in the agricultural, energy and waste sectors, as recognised by the 2020 EU Methane Strategy. Methane emissions are avoided when methane emitted from organic matter, such as manure and biowaste, are brought to the closed and controlled environment of an AD plant, instead of being released into the atmosphere.
Raleigh Buses will soon be Powered by Human Waste
City buses will soon be powered by gas made from human waste.
It’s one of the perks of an upgrade to Raleigh’s wastewater treatment system that will help the city save money and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Currently, Raleigh’s main wastewater treatment plant processes about 50 million gallons of water each day and uses an energy-intensive aerobic system to break down waste into to dried biosolids that can be spread on farms and fields.
Twenty Year Anniversary: BMW Manufacturing’s Landfill Gas-to-Energy Project Continues to Power Factory
For decades, the BMW Group has been using innovative technologies in its efforts to improve sustainability. It was 20 years ago that BMW Manufacturing started using recycled methane gas from a local landfill to provide electricity and hot water for the plant. The result of this groundbreaking idea: more than 9,200 tons of CO2 emissions have been reduced each year, which is equivalent to eliminating CO2 emissions from vehicles driving 23.5 million miles every year. Currently, about 20 percent of Plant Spartanburg’s total energy needs (electricity and heat) are provided by landfill gas.
Because of the great success of this project, BMW Manufacturing announced today that it will extend its partnership with Ameresco, Inc. for an additional eight years. Ameresco constructed the 9.5-mile pipeline from the Palmetto Landfill to Plant Spartanburg. This means nearly 74,000 tons of CO2 emissions will be reduced over the next eight years.
Forget the Noise: Biomethane a Global Tool To Cut Emissions and Boost Energy Security
Over the last 40-plus years, the United States and Canada have positioned themselves as world leaders in renewable natural gas (RNG) — a sustainable and reliable gaseous fuel derived from the captured emissions of biological waste. The North American RNG portfolio has grown considerably from the first commercial RNG facility at a landfill in Staten Island, New York, in 1982, to more than 300 facilities operating at year-end 2022 at landfills, dairies and nearly anywhere else biological waste is found.
But, according to a small and noisy band of political advocacy groups, RNG is a brand-new marketing pitch cooked up by US energy interests. If you’ve recently paid attention to RNG-conducive policy progress occurring in several US states, you’ve likely heard some spurious claims of “greenwashing” lobbed at RNG operators and utilities supporting the safe and responsible use of renewable gas as a means of addressing societal waste and emissions.
To those working in RNG, these claims are head-scratching. While RNG may be newly popular — and urgently necessary — it is far from new, or mere marketing fodder. Looking from a global perspective, we know that climate-smart governments around the world, not just in North America, are embracing methane capture and utilization as one way to achieve the net-zero goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.
Walmart Teams With Cummins, Chevron to Put 15-Liter Renewable Natural Gas Engine on Road
Walmart Inc. on Tuesday said it is rolling out its first heavy-duty truck powered by a 15-liter natural-gas engine, making it the first of its kind to hit the road in North America.
The Bentonville, Ark., retail giant said the truck, the first of five it is incorporating into its private fleet, has an X15N engine supplied by Cummins Inc. It will be fueled by Chevron Corp. with compressed natural gas linked to renewable natural gas, which is produced when biomethane from decomposing organic matter is captured, treated and placed into the network.
Nature Energy Proposes Manure Digester in Lewiston
The Danish company Nature Energy is proposing a large manure digester plant in Lewiston, which would convert manure into renewable natural gas and other products. Nature Energy previously proposed a 20 million gallon digester in Wilson Township, and Lewiston Economic Development Authority (EDA) Chair Jon Nienow said the new proposal was similar, but he was unsure whether it would replace plans for the Wilson facility or be in addition to it.
The Lewiston City Council and EDA are expected to hear a presentation on Monday night and take an initial vote on whether to endorse the project. An environmental study and additional permit approvals by the state and city would be required in the future.
Greenlane Renewables Announces Agreement to Establish Industrial Scale Volume Production Locally in Brazil
Greenlane Renewables Inc. announced that it has entered into a collaborative agreement with ZEG Biogás e Energia S.A. ("ZEG Biogás"), a company 50% owned by Vibra Energia S.A. ("VIBRA"), previously the fuel distribution unit of Petrobras, to locally produce, market and sell one of Greenlane's largest and most popular biogas upgrading products in Brazil.
Under the terms of the agreement, Greenlane and ZEG Biogás will collaborate to establish, locally in Brazil, volume production of Greenlane's Totara+ Water Wash Biogas Upgrading Product, one that is capable of processing up to 2,500 Nm3/h of inlet biogas.
RNG as On-Road Fuel Up 17% in 2022
Renewable natural gas (RNG) use to fuel on-road natural gas vehicles rose 17% in 2022 and accounted for 69% of all on-road fuel use in the US last year, Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVAmerica) said April 13.
Last year, 663 million gasoline-equivalent gallons (GGE) of natural gas were used as motor fuel; 457 million GGE of that total came from renewable sources, up 17% from 2021 and 218% higher than volumes used in 2018, NGVAmerica and the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) said.
“RNG-fueled heavy-duty vehicles are a scalable, affordable, and carbon-free-today solution for freight and transit fleets of all sizes,” NGVAmerica President Dan Gage said. “And with the upcoming availability of a 15-liter engine option, commercial fleet applications with the biggest torque and horsepower needs will also be able to transition to ultra-clean renewable natural gas motor fuel and displace diesel, saving on fueling costs and slashing their greenhouse gas emissions.”
Bioenergy Devco Receives $30 Million Investment As It Ramps Up US Anaerobic Digestion Efforts
Bioenergy Devco, the North American division of Italian biogas firm BTS Bioenergy, received a $30 million investment from a subsidiary of Annapolis, Maryland-based Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, the firm announced on Monday.
The new investment allows Bioenergy Devco to move forward on more than 20 sites it’s eyeing for its North American expansion, taking advantage of incoming organics recycling mandates and rising interest about the utility of anaerobic digestion as a waste disposal strategy, Shawn Kreloff, founder and CEO, told Waste Dive.
Chevron: Another Chevron CNG Station in California Crops Up in Farm Country
Last month, Chevron opened another retail compressed natural gas (CNG) station in California.
The fueling site-located in Visalia, a city in the central part of the state where agriculture predominates-increases the availability of lower carbon fuels for use in heavy-duty vehicles.