RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.NC DAQ Issues Air Quality Permit to Sapphire RNG Facility at Sampson County Landfill
After thoroughly reviewing all public comments submitted during the public hearing and notice period, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) is issuing a Title V air quality permit to Sapphire Renewable Natural Gas.
Sapphire Renewable Natural Gas plans to accept and process landfill gas onsite at Sampson County Disposal, in Roseboro, North Carolina. Currently, the landfill burns all its gas using flares, producing air pollution. Air emissions at Sapphire Renewable Natural Gas will be controlled by a waste gas thermal oxidizer, a candlestick flare and a sulfur treatment system with two activated carbon vessels.
bp’s Archaea Energy Achieves Major Milestone, Brings Online First of Its Kind Renewable Natural Gas Plant
Today, bp’s Archaea Energy announced the official startup of its original Archaea Modular Design (AMD) renewable natural gas (RNG) plant in Medora, Indiana. Located next to a landfill owned by Rumpke Waste and Recycling, this is the first plant to come online since bp’s acquisition of Archaea in December 2022.
Landfill gas, a natural byproduct of the decomposition of waste in landfills, is a form of greenhouse gas. Using the AMD design, the Medora plant captures the gas from Rumpke’s landfill and converts it to electricity, heat or renewable natural gas, which leads to cleaner air, less odor and more sustainable energy when compared with traditional fossil fuel energy.
Evonik Celebrates 1,000th Reference Plant for Biogas Upgrading Using Sepuran Green Membranes
In Heek, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the 1,000th reference plant for biogas upgrading is being built, equipped with Sepuran Green membranes from Evonik. The specialty chemicals company is celebrating a significant milestone in its young history as a technology provider for membrane-based gas separation. Since the product launch in 2011, Evonik has worked with selected partners to develop its membrane technology into a new quality standard in biogas upgrading. The group is driving forward the green transformation toward a sustainable gas economy.
Preserving California's Emissions Reduction Goals: Stay The Course On Methane Reductions From The Low Carbon Fuel Standard
As California continues efforts to reach its ambitious climate goals, the California Air Resources Board faces a pivotal decision that could profoundly impact the state's climate progress. CARB is currently updating the state's Low-Carbon Fuel Standard program, which has prompted overly simplistic demands from anti-dairy political advocacy groups to remove recognition for reducing methane emissions during fuel production from the program. Despite the noise, it is crucial for policymakers to stay the course and support effective methane reduction measures currently supported by the LCFS and validated by prevailing academic research.
Washington State Renewable Gas Project Gets Clean Energy Funding
Seven grants totaling $4.76 million have been awarded to projects to enhance clean energy in rural communities, including the Sunnyside Renewable Natural Gas Project.
The grants were announced by the Washington State Department of Commerce, with funding coming from the State's Clean Energy Fund.
The funding will result in improved air and water quality or soil health, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and local economic benefits according to a Commerce press release announcing the grants.
RNG Coalition, EBA Ally To Advance Market-Based Approach To Global GHG Framework
The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition), together with the European Biogas Association, met last week with Pankaj Bhatia, global director of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol at World Resources Institute, at New York Climate Week. Leaders discussed growing supply and utilization of renewable natural gas (RNG)/biomethane in North America and Europe and explored avenues for future collaboration to facilitate the accounting and reporting of RNG crediting under the GHG Protocol. Recognition of RNG's environmental attributes under the GHG Protocol will prove key toward unlocking RNG's decarbonization potential in both North America and European jurisdictions.
Done Right, Clean Energy As Reliable as Traditional Sources: Xcel Energy
It is National Clean Energy Week, a time to celebrate our collective progress toward systems that power our lives without greenhouse gas emissions.
In my role at Xcel Energy, which has advanced one of the most ambitious clean-energy visions in the U.S., I see enormous potential for our state to develop more sustainable and cost-effective systems to reliably serve us through extreme weather events and to serve our growing need for reliable electricity to charge vehicles and run appliances.
Read more here.
Maersk and CMA CGM Partner to Accelerate Shipping Decarbonization
Container shippers A.P. Moller-Maersk and CMA CGM are partnering to accelerate the energy transition in shipping, working together to develop the use of alternative greener fuels, they said Tuesday.
The Danish and French companies have both set a net-zero emissions target for their shipping business and have begun implementing decarbonization plans, with Maersk ordering vessels that can be operated on bio/e-methanol while CMA CGM has been ordering LNG-propelled vessels, that can also be operated on bio/e-methane.
Alternatives May Drive Methanol Market Growth
The growth of sustainable alternatives to traditional methanol production sources likely will shape the market over the next several years, industry leaders said this week at the Argus Methanol Forum.
Driven by low-carbon policies and regulations, the transportation sector — especially the marine fuels industry — could be a source of heightened demand.
"The aim is to be net zero by 2050 but [those solutions are] expensive today and one of the main challenges to build e-methanol or bio-methanol plants is a huge queue for these pieces of equipment that aren't available," Anita Gajadhar, executive director for Swiss-based methanol producer Proman, said.
SJI, OPAL Fuels Enter Renewable Natural Gas Joint Venture
South Jersey Industries (SJI) and OPAL Fuels have entered into a 50/50 joint venture to develop, construct, own and operate RNG facilities. The first facility (the “Atlantic RNG facility”) will be at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) solid waste landfill in Egg Harbor Township.
“This project is consistent with our comprehensive clean energy plan, Leading the Way,” said Mike Renna, president & CEO, South Jersey Industries. “Its implementation underscores our current progress and renewed vision to achieve Scope 1 and 2 carbon-neutral operations by 2040 and lead our employees, customers, and communities to a better today and tomorrow. This and future projects with OPAL Fuels will permit us to accelerate achieving these goals.”
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