RNG NEWS
Burnham RNG Acquired by Ares Management
Burnham RNG, a full-service developer and owner of organic waste management and anaerobic digestion biogas assets across the U.S., announced today that a fund managed by Ares Management's Infrastructure Opportunities strategy has made a strategic investment to acquire the company from Edge Natural Resources.
The investment from Ares, a leading infrastructure investor with approximately $15.1 billion in infrastructure equity and debt assets under management as of September 30, will support Burnham in the further development and construction of its broader pipeline of renewable natural gas assets located throughout the U.S. The acquisition of Burnham follows Ares' announcement of a strategic investment in Dynamic Renewables earlier this year and represents the group's continued commitment to building scale in the waste-to-value space, supported by the development of strong projects diversified across feedstock type.
New Report Suggests Building 300 Anaerobic Digesters in New York to Combat Methane Emissions
A new report from Energy Vision suggests that significantly bolstering anaerobic digestion (AD) infrastructure in New York could reduce methane emissions by 15 percent.
The report, titled "Putting New York's Organic Waste to Work", highlights the role of mitigating methane emissions in addressing climate change over the next five to 20 years.
Industry, RNG Coalition Call for Biomethane Imports To Be Automatically Included in EU Database
Pan-European gas industry association Eurogas announced November 22 that together with seven other industry organizations it has called on the European Commission to “immediately and fully” include biomethane and biomethane-based imports in the Union Database.
Excluding the certification of these fuels would directly hinder imports and exports of biomethane to the EU, particularly from the US, UK and Ukraine, Eurogas said in a press release. “It will also impact biomethane-based fuels such as biomethanol, for which plants rely on biomethane injected to the gas grid, preferring this over other modes of transport which may have economic, environmental and technical downsides. Indeed, this decision could also impact other fuels like hydrogen.”
Enbridge Blazes RNG Pathway: Waste 360
Energy delivery company Enbridge is having a healthy growth spurt on the renewable natural gas (RNG) front. The Calgary, Alberta-based corporation recently purchased seven operational landfill methane-to-RNG facilities in the U.S. and broke ground on an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant to make RNG in Longview, Washington. Alongside these transactions Enbridge is closing on three projects under its Canadian utility business, Enbridge Gas, adding to this division’s six existing facilities, with 50 more in development.
Reportedly the largest energy company in Canada, Enbridge Gas is set to expand further, with the purchase of three U.S. utilities owned by Dominion. The acquisition will bump its retail customer base from four million to seven million and significantly increase the 1.45 Bcf of RNG it currently produces each year.
Aemetis Receives Approval For 24-Mile Biogas Pipeline in California
Aemetis announced today that the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors in California, upon a 4-0 vote, approved the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analysis for Aemetis Biogas to extend its biogas pipeline by an additional 24 miles using the public right of way.
The pipeline transports biogas from dairy digesters to a centralized renewable natural gas (RNG) upgrading facility located at the Aemetis Keyes biofuels plant. The pipeline extension will enable Aemetis to add 21 additional dairies to the Aemetis Biogas project in Stanislaus and Merced Counties. As the biogas pipeline is being built, encroachment permits are expected to be obtained for each section using detailed engineering designs and relying on the County’s CEQA environmental approval.
RNG Offers Sustainable Energy Opportunity We Can’t Afford To Waste: Enbridge
Among the many pathways to a lower-emissions future is one that starts with an unlikely material and transforms it into an energy source that’s carbon-neutral and available immediately to consumers and businesses through existing infrastructure.
Renewable natural gas (RNG) is created through a process that captures and purifies methane emissions from landfills and other sources such as farm waste and wastewater. RNG is a market-ready solution that can and should be part of a pragmatic, diversified-energy approach towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Turning Trash To Treasure: The Power of RNG in Combatting Food Waste
The extent of food waste in our society is an increasing problem for one of our most valuable resources. Approximately one-third of the world's food supply is wasted each year, around 40% in the United States alone, creating consequences that impact the environment, public health, and the economy.
Food waste that ends up in landfills breaks down with little to no oxygen present and produces large amounts of methane gas. This contributes significantly to global warming, as methane is estimated to be approximately 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to trapping heat in the atmosphere. Globally, food waste accounts for around eight percent of greenhouse gas emissions, so finding a practical solution represents a major opportunity to combat climate change.
Clean Energy Opens RNG Fueling Station in Baltimore
Clean Energy Fuels has opened a new renewable natural gas station (RNG) in Baltimore, near the Pulaski Industrial Area, according to a Nov. 21 press release. RNG is made entirely of organic waste and promises to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The new station is located near the Pulaski Industrial Area and provides heavy-duty truck fleets access to a low-carbon, sustainable fuel along the busy East Coast trucking corridor.
The new station, located at 6820 Quad Ave., sits on almost 20 acres and includes four fast-fill dispensers for easy in-and-out fueling of RNG, as well as private time-fill hoses for up to 156 trucks and parking for drivers’ personal vehicles.
Coalition Forms To Work With EPA on eRINS Program
A coalition of more than 20 organizations and companies launched the Partnership for Electric Pathways (PEP) to work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to secure a viable pathway for renewable electricity to get credit under EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.
“We steadfastly support EPA’s most recent proposal to effectuate the agency’s 2010 and 2014 regulations to allow for electricity derived from eligible biomass resources to qualify as RFS renewable fuel,” PEP says in a letter sent to EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Our consortium includes a range of entities involved in producing and using electricity to power electric vehicles—throughout the value chain. This coalition also includes existing RIN [renewable identification number] generators and RFS compliance entities. We share the common goals of reducing emissions, capturing waste and decarbonizing transportation while growing the American workforce.”
Renewable Natural Gas: A Swiss Army Knife for US Decarbonization?
The energy transition is underway. Corporations and policymakers are embarking on ambitious decarbonization journeys to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Renewable natural gas (RNG) emerges as an alternative fuel that could contribute to substantial emissions reductions across multiple industries.
At present, fossil natural gas — which comprises 95% methane, 5% ethane, and trace amounts of other hydrocarbons — is the second largest source of primary energy in the United States, responsible for 33% of the country’s energy consumption in 2021. And in the last decade, natural gas consumption has grown by approximately 2% per year.