RNG NEWS
As Methane Emissions Rise, Energy Vision/Argonne National Lab Assessment Shows Rapid Growth in Renewable Natural Gas That Could Significantly Cut Them
The sustainable energy NGO Energy Vision today released its annual assessment of the US renewable natural gas (RNG) industry, conducted in collaboration with the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). Tracking production facilities where part or all of the output is or will be used as transportation fuel, the assessment shows rapid growth in the number and capacity of RNG projects.
By the end of 2023 (the most recent period for which survey data is available) there were 542 such RNG production facilities, including 305 in operation, 126 under construction, and 111 planned -- an overall 33.8% increase and a 22% increase in total capacity over the previous two years, the new assessment finds. Those 305 operational facilities had enough capacity to fuel 96,900 refuse trucks, displacing nearly 843 million gallons of diesel annually. With another 237 RNG projects in the pipeline, rapid growth should continue.
Q&A: WM’s Malik on the Company’s RNG Investment Strategies and Near-Future Plans
WM operates one of the largest landfill gas-to-renewable energy platforms in North America and is on an aggressive trajectory to go further.
In this Q&A, Shahid Malik, vice president of Renewable Energy, WM, discusses goals the company aims to reach before the end of 2024 and zeros in on 2026, which is anticipated to be a major milestone.
Methanex To Acquire OCI Global’s Methanol Business
Canada-headed Methanex Corporation (Methanex), the world's largest methanol producer has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire OCI Global’s (OCI) international methanol business for US$2.05 billion. The transaction includes OCI’s interest in two world-scale methanol facilities in Beaumont, Texas (TX), one of which also produces ammonia. The transaction also includes a low-carbon methanol production and marketing business and a currently idled methanol facility in the Netherlands.
According to a statement, OCI’s methanol business enhances Methanex’s asset portfolio with highly attractive assets in a low-risk jurisdiction that has an ample and economic supply of feedstock natural gas.
FortisBC Issues Request for Expressions of Interest for Biomass and Biogas Power Capacity
FortisBC is issuing a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) for additional power to meet its customers’ growing energy needs and support economic growth in B.C.’s Southern Interior region.
As the company identifies promising projects, FortisBC said it will work with power providers to bring these new projects online and increase the amount of electricity available for its customers.
Gevo To Acquire Red Trail Energy Assets in North Dakota
Gevo, Inc., a leading developer of net-zero hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the ethanol production plant and carbon capture and sequestration assets of Red Trail Energy, LLC for $210 million.
Amp Americas Dairy RNG Projects Have Reduced More Than 2 Million MT of CO2e
Amp Americas, a leading dairy methane capture and renewable natural gas (RNG) company, today announced that its projects have reduced more than 2,000,000 metric tons (MT) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions since 2012 – equivalent to the emissions of more than five natural gas-fired power plants in one year.
Amp Americas partners with dairy farmers across the United States on projects that reduce methane emissions from dairy waste. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas – 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in driving global warming over a 20-year time span. Amp Americas provides an immediate, measurable and at-scale solution to methane emissions by capturing methane on dairy farms that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. Dairy RNG also reduces the cost of managing dairy waste and produces digestate that can be used as fertilizer.
Maersk Starts To Dive In on Volumes of Biomethane and E-Methane for Fuel
Danish liner giant AP Moller-Maersk is looking at how to access bio-LNG and e-LNG as it prepares to grow a new LNG dual-fuelled container ship fleet.
In a session at the TradeWinds Shipowners Forum Germany 2024 at SMM week in Hamburg, Maersk head of fuel transition and infrastructure Sameer Bhatnagar said: “We have been in active discussions in sourcing e-methane and biomethane."
Avista Issues Request for Proposals for Renewable Natural Gas
Avista, through a request for proposal (RFP), is seeking to secure renewable natural gas (RNG) resources for its customers over the long term. RNG is derived from organic waste streams that would otherwise release methane to the environment as they decompose. These sources include, for example, landfills, wastewater treatment plants, food waste and dairy waste. RNG is produced by capturing that methane that would otherwise escape to the atmosphere and purifying it to make it very similar to conventional natural gas.
Dutch Company OCI Global To Double Its Green Methanol Capacity in US
Dutch company OCI Global is to double its green methanol production capacity in the US to 400,000 tonnes per year ahead of 2025. According to the company, demand for green methanol from high-emissions industries will grow by more than six million tonnes by 2028.
The green methanol will come from a mix of renewable feedstocks including renewable natural gas (RNG), green hydrogen and other over-the-fence feedstock partnerships, according to OCI. The product will principally be used as a fuel blend in place of petrol, used for shipping and heavy industry.
High Hopes, Hurdles For US Trash-to-Gas Buildout
Landfills are producing a tiny but fast-growing volume of renewable natural gas (RNG) in the US and Canada, with exponential growth on the horizon if the industry can overcome cost and policy challenges.