RNG NEWS
Biogas Investment Tax Credit Still Needs Tweaks, IRS Told
While the IRS clarified that the clean energy investment tax credit would cover eligible upgrading equipment integral to biogas properties, the industry could get a boost if final rules allow separate ownership of the equipment, stakeholders told the agency Wednesday.
The Internal Revenue Service made the clarification in a correction to be published Thursday in the Federal Register in response to the industry's initial concerns. But the current proposal still requires that a single entity owns the clean energy facility in order for it to qualify for the tax credit under Internal Revenue Code Section 48 , the stakeholders said during the agency's hearing on the proposed rules implementing the credit. The requirements are a problem for biogas or renewable natural gas, or RNG, production facilities that tend to have different ownership structures, they said.
Shell Sees Rising Value in German Biomethane Market
Shell, opens new tab expects growth in German biomethane markets where its client base seeks decarbonized energy and its fossil fuels activities could be transformed to support future profitability from a high-value segment, a top manager said.
Sonja Mueller-Dib, managing director of Shell Energy Deutschland, said her company is planning two biomethane plants at Karstaedt and Steinfeld, which could meet up to 5% of current national biomethane consumption by the end of this decade.
Ameresco Begins Operations of RNG Plant at Republic Services’ Brickyard Landfill
Ameresco announced that it achieved commercial operation at its landfill gas to renewable natural gas plant at Republic Services’ Brickyard Landfill in Danville, Illinois. The Brickyard facility has a gross nameplate of over 500,000 Dekatherms per year, with the potential to displace the production of traditional fuel sources and is capable of processing 2,000 scfm of raw landfill gas.
This is Ameresco’s 12th renewable energy project with Republic, with another 10 projects in various stages of development, permitting or construction.
STX Group Announces Unique Financing Partnership With BioValue for Dutch Biomethane Plant
STX Group, a leading global firm in environmental commodities trading and climate finance, today announces the financing partnership with BioValue, a major Dutch biomethane producer, for the construction and development of the Groengas Cothen biomethane plant. The new plant adds at least 80GWh of renewable natural gas capacity per year. This strategic move is aligned with STX Group’s mission to promote the energy transition and underscores the redefinition of market dynamics aimed at boosting project development in the renewable energy space.
The financing by STX Group ensures BioValue access to key capital but also provides flexibility, avoiding potential constraints from fixed offtake prices. Collaborating with Nationaal Groenfonds as the junior financier, STX Group goes beyond traditional offtake agreements: unlike traditional banking institutions, this financing model provides BioValue with exposure to the developing biomethane market, contributing to their strategic goals and long-term success.
Bioenergy Devco Wins Bid for California Organics Recycling Facility
The City of Long Beach has entered into exclusive negotiations with Bioenergy Devco, the North American division of BTS Bioenergy, to construct an organics recycling facility that will recycle food waste, converting it to an organic soil amendment and renewable natural gas (RNG). This facility will help Long Beach advance its sustainability goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Bioenergy Devco’s anaerobic digestion technology provides a solution for recycling organic waste. The technology prevents food scraps and other organics from being disposed of in landfills, mitigating the release of potent methane gas, a significant contributor to climate change. Bioenergy Devco helps communities across the country meet their sustainability goals by turning waste into renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gasses, and advancing environmental stewardship.
US$34 Million, US$38 Million RNG Facilities Begin Production In South Dakota
Clean Energy Fuels Corporation (Clean Energy) has completed a new renewable natural gas (RNG) production facility at Drumgoon Dairy in Lake Norden, South Dakota. The 6500-cow dairy farm is expected to supply 1.66 million gallons (6.28 million liters) of negative carbon-intensity RNG annually to the transportation market when at full capacity. Construction of the US$38 million RNG digester project was completed in early-December 2023 and injection into the interstate natural gas pipeline system of the RNG began within weeks. The RNG produced at Drumgoon will be virtually stored until all pathways for federal and state environmental credits are approved, and a carbon-intensity score is assigned to the RNG, expected in the first half of 2024.
“Completion of the RNG project at Drumgoon Dairy, along with several others that are right behind it, is already making a contribution to controlling harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” said Clay Corbus, senior vice president of renewables at Clean Energy. “Being a multi-generational operation, Drumgoon’s owners are always thinking about the future, whether it’s bringing in the latest technology to better track and monitor their cows or transforming their herd to antibiotic-free. Adding an RNG digester that captures the methane produced by Drumgoon’s cows and turning it into a clean fuel is the ultimate recycling project.”
WM’s Sustainability Efforts Aren’t Getting Lost at Golf’s Phoenix Open
Not only had the tournament raised more than $125 million for charity during WM’s involvement entering this past week, but it is the biggest zero-waste sporting event anywhere — recycling, repurposing, and reusing. That’s a tribute to its title sponsor, which used to be known as Waste Management before rebranding to simply WM several years ago in an effort to recognize it’s far more than a garbage company.
Harnessing the Power of Biogas: A Sustainable Opportunity for Industrial Manufacturing
While renewable energy has been making strides in various sectors, the potential of biogas in revolutionising industrial manufacturing remains largely untapped in New Zealand.
Biogas production involves the anaerobic digestion of organic materials such as agricultural residues, food waste, and wastewater. This process utilises microorganisms to degrade the organic material into methane. A byproduct from anaerobic digestion is digestate which can be utilised as biofertilisers.
Ukraine Advances Legislation for Biogas Exports to Europe
Ukraine's parliament has advanced legislation to enable customs clearance of biomethane for international trade via gas pipelines.
The procedural draft law was adopted in its first reading. Accompanying documents denote that Ukrainian companies are already working on producing biomethane and transporting it through pipeline networks.
The Industry Needs a Stable Framework and Renewable Gas to Decarbonize While Being Competitive
The industry needs “more decisive in intensity and effectiveness” support to be able to face the challenges of the sector, including its decarbonization, as well as a “predictable and stable” regulatory framework that gives certainty to the companies that have to undertake the investments.
These are the conclusions of the work carried out by Sedigas in collaboration with PwC, presented this Wednesday at the CEOE business association, where the deployment of renewable gases has been advocated, which not only represent the “opportunity” to decarbonize heat-intensive activity but also They will also be a “reindustrialization lever” of Spain.