Ameresco
Date: 2019-08-02
In testimony at recent EPA hearings on 2020 Renewable Fuel Volume Standards and Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), Framingham, Mass.-based RBG developer and renewables and energy efficiency specialist Ameresco, Inc. Senior Project Manager Jeff Stander noted -- "We strongly encourage the EPA to set the 2020 cellulosic biofuel RVO to account for at least 650 million gallons of RNG."

Stander led the 2018 development of Ameresco's RNG production facility at the Woodland Meadows Landfill in Canton, Michigan and was one of several industry experts representing the RNG Coalition at the EPA public hearing on July 31 in Ypsilanti, Michigan, for the EPA's proposed Renewable Fuel Standards for 2020, according to the release.

Ameresco has developed 39 beneficial use projects involving biogas at wastewater treatment plants and landfills, including three RNG facilities in Arizona, Michigan and Texas that participate in the RFS program. The RNG facilities generate D3 Cellulosic Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and provide transportation fuel that is injected into the natural gas pipeline grid.

Since 2014, the EPA has recognized the use of RNG to meet fuel volume standards under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). RNG makes up more than 95 pct of the renewable fuel used to meet the RFS cellulosic biofuel requirement, according to the Ameresco release. (Source: Ameresco, PR, 31 July, 2019) Contact: Ameresco, Jeff Stander, Senior Project Developer, (508) 661-2288, www.ameresco.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Ameresco,  RNG,  RFS,  

Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas
Date: 2019-07-31
In Sacramento, the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) is reporting the North American renewable natural gas (RNG) industry has reached the "100 facility benchmark" with the recent addition of three operational facilities -- a 150 pct growth over the past five years from the 41 projects built between 1982 and 2014. (Source: Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, 29 July, 2019) Contact: Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, Johannes Escudero, CEO, (916) 588-3033, info@rngcoalition.com, www.rngcoalition.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas ,  

SocalGas,Calgren
Date: 2019-07-31
SocalGas, the largest natural gas distribution utility in the US, reports the completion of the Calgren dairy renewable natural gas facility in Pixley. The natural gas facility, developed in partnership with Calgren Dairy Fuels, is the first of its kind in California. SocalGas has provided Calgren with a $5 million incentive, authorised by the California PUC to support the project.

Calgren will collect cow manure from four dairy farms and process it using an anaerobic digesters to produce methane emissions which will then be used to produce transportation fuel. The digesters in the Calgren project are partially funded under California's Dairy Digester Research and Development Programme, which aims to reduce GHG emissions from manure generated at state dairy farms. California currently has about 30 operational dairy RNG projects and 50 under development.

A 2016 study by the University of California, Davis found California has the potential to produce approximately 90.6 billion cubic feet (bcf) per year of renewable natural gas from dairy, landfill, municipal solid waste, and wastewater treatment plant sources alone -- sufficient to meet the annual natural gas needs of around 2.3 million California homes. According to the U.S. DOE the U.S. currently produces 1 trillion cubic feet of renewable natural gas every year, and that number is expected to increase to 10 trillion by 2030. (Source: SocalGas, SmartEnergy, 30 July, 2019) Contact: Calgren Renewable Fuels, Walt Dwelle, Principal Owner , Lyle Schlyer, Pres., (559) 757-3850, lschyler@calgren.com, www.calgren.com; Southern California Gas Company, Sharon Tomkins, VP customer solutions and strategy. www.socalgas.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News SocalGas,  Calgren,  anaerobic digester,  RNG,  Renewable Natural Gas,  

AMP Americas
Date: 2019-07-26
Chicago-based AMP Americas, a clean-tech startup that turns cow manure into renewable natural gas (RNG) for transportation fuel, reports it has raised another $75 million for construction of two new facilities that would double its RNG production capacity. Solid location and ground breaking dates have not been disclosed .

At its existing facilities, AMP produces 5 million gpy of biodiesel from waste processed at nearby dairy farms. The new plants will allow AMP to produce almost 5 million additional gallons.

In addition to this new $75 million investment, AMP recently closed on an investment by an unnamed infrastructure investor as part of a recapitalization and sold its 20 ampCNG fueling stations to American Natural Gas for $41 million. It also launched an operating services business and expanded its RNG marketing and risk management business.

AMP was the first company to bring dairy RNG to market and is the only producer delivering dairy renewable natural gas to California trucking fleets, including UPS, under the low-carbon fuel standard, according to AMP. (Source: AMP Website, Crains, 25 July, 2019) Contact: Amp Americas, Grant Zimmerman, CEO, info@ampamericas.com, (312) 300-6700, (312) 380-0206 - fax., www.ampamericas.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News AMP Americas,  RNG,  CNG,  

Brightmark Energy,CLean Fuel Partners
Date: 2019-07-26
Following up on our 8th April coverage, San Francisco-based renewable energy development company Brightmark Energy reports the purchase of a 90,000 gpd dairy waste anaerobic digester project in Dane County , Wisconsin, from Clean Fuel Partners. Clean Fuel Partners will continue its work on the project by providing operations and maintenance support.

The Dane County facility is the first such facility in the United States designed to receive biogas from multiple off-site locations and connect that renewable gas with RNG stations locally and across the nation.

When fully operational the project is expected to produce sufficient renewable natural gas (RNG) to replace at least 50,000 MMBtu of conventional natural gas each year.(Source: Brightmark, 25 July, 2019) Contact: Brightmark Energy, Bob Powell, CEO, (415) 689-8395, info@brightmarkenergy.com, www.brightmarkenergy.com; Clean Fuel Partners, John Haeckel, Founder and CEO, (608) 957-7995, info@cleanfuelpartners.com, www.cleanfuelpartners.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Brightmark Energy,  anaerobic digester,  Clean Fuel Partners,  

Bright Biomethane
Date: 2019-07-19
In the Netherlands, Enschede-headquartered membrane separation biogas to biomethane upgrading systems specialist Bright Biomethane is reporting the opening of its first North American office in NYC, NY.

Bright Biomethane North America will supply biogas upgrading systems with membrane separation technology for the refining of biogas from biomass to biomethane, and is working on the first five renewable natural gas (RNG) projects, all of which being realized in the Northeast of the U.S. (Source: Bright Biomethane, PR, Cdn. Biomass, Others, June, 2019) Contact: Bright Biomethane, Herman Klein Teeselink, CEO, +31 53 460 9088, info@brightbiomethane.com, www.brightbiomethane.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Bright Biomethane,  Biogas,  Biomethane,  

Greenlane Biogas,Fortis
Date: 2019-06-28
Greenlane Renewables Inc. reports its wholly-owned Burnaby, British Columbia-based subsidiary Greenlane Biogas North America Ltd., has secured a new $3.4 million-dollar biogas upgrading contract for a Metro Vancouver municipal wastewater treatment facility. Work is slated to begin immediately for a mis 2020 completion.

The facility will produce clean Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) for injection into the gas distribution network owned and operated by FortisBC, the local gas utility.

Greenlane's "water-scrubbing" gas purification technology uses no chemicals or heat to cleans impurities and CO2 from biogas to produce high-purity biomethane, suitable for injection into the natural gas grid and for direct use as vehicle fuel. (Source: Greenlane Biogas, PR, July,2019) Contact: Greenlane Biogas, Brad Douville, Pres., CEO, (604) 259-0343, salesna@greenlanebiogas.com, www.greenlanebiogas.com; FortisBC, Douglas Stout, VP External Relations and Market Dev., 604-576-7000, www.fortisbc.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biogas,  Biomethane,  RNG,  Fortis,  

Date: 2019-06-26
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and California Bioenergy announced a joint investment in a holding company with California dairy farmers to produce and market dairy biomethane as a vehicle fuel in the state. The holding company, CalBioGas, secured funding from Chevron to build infrastructure for dairy biomethane projects in California’s San Joaquin Valley, adding to the investment from dozens of dairy farmers. Manure storage on dairy farms results in the release of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. CalBio brings technology, operational experience and capital to help dairy farmers build digesters and methane capture projects to convert this methane to a beneficial use as renewable natural gas. The dairy biomethane projects are designed to send dairy biogas to a centralized processing facility, where it will be upgraded to RNG and injected into the local gas utility’s pipeline. The RNG is then marketed as an alternative fuel for heavy-duty trucks, buses, and eventually off-road and farm equipment. (Source: Transport Topics, 24 June, 2019)

Sempra Energy
Date: 2019-06-26
San Diego-based Sempra Energy reports release of its Delivering Energy With Purpose 2018 corporate sustainability report outlining the company's clean energy, environmental, social and governance performance and investments in energy infrastructure in North America.

The report covers the company's efforts to build infrastructure to connect customers to renewable energy supplies including energy from solar, wind, battery storage and renewable natural gas. Sempra's operating companies also have a number of programs that aim to enhance electric reliability and energy efficiency.

According to the report, the company expects to play a leadership role in the worldwide shift away from coal toward lower-emissions natural gas through the development of five liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure projects in North America.

Download Sempra's Delivering Energy With Purpose -- 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report HERE. (Source: Sempra Energy, PR, NewsWire, 24 June, 2019) Contact: Sempra Energy, Dennis V. Arriola, VP, Chief Sustainability Officer, Jeff Martin, CEO (619) 696-2901, www.sempra.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Sempra Energy,  Renewable Energy,  Sustainable Energy,  

CalBioGas
Date: 2019-06-21
In the Golden State, Visalia-headquartered California Bioenergy LLC and oil giant Chevron are reporting a joint investment in CalBioGas LLC, a holding company with California dairy farmers to produce and market dairy biomethane as a transportation fuel in compliance with California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).

CalBio will help dairy farmers build digesters and methane capture projects to convert methane into renewable natural gas (RNG). Chevron will fund as many as 18 digesters across three geographic "clusters" in Kern, Tulare and Kings counties. The three clusters of digesters have been awarded California Department of Food and Agriculture grants which must be augmented with additional capital to complete the projects. (Source: California Bioenergy, PR, Chevron, Renewable Energy, 20 June, 2019) Contact: CalBioEnergy, N. Ross Buckenham, CEO, 559-667-9560, info@calbioenergy.com, www.calbioenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Anaerobic Digestion,  California Bioenergy,  Chevron,  Biogas,  Methane,  Biomethane,  

Kinetrex Energy
Date: 2019-06-17
Indianapolis-headquartered LNG specialist Kinetrex Energy is reporting it will capture landfill gas -- methane from the city of Indianapolis South Side Landfill and processes it into a fuel for shipping companies like UPS. The facility will be the company's first renewable natural gas (RNG) plant although it already fuels its trucking customers with gas purchased from other states.

The company estimates estimates that the RNG produced by the Indianapolis plant will replace more than 8 million gallons of diesel fuel.

Kinetrex Energy supplies a portfolio of liquefied natural gas (LNG), pipeline natural gas, and renewable natural gas energy solutions in the Midwest. It serves customers in the transportation, commercial, industrial, agricultural, gas utilities, power generation, asphalt, and commercial and industrial markets, as well as churches, hospitals, and schools. (Source: Kinetrix Energy, Lakeshore Public Radio, 14 June, 2019)Contact: Kinetrex Energy, Aaron Johnson, Pres., CEO, 317-886-8179, www.kinetrexenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Kinetrex Energy ,  Biogas,  Methane,  Landfill Methane,  

Clean Energy Fuels Corp., UPS
Date: 2019-05-29
Atlanta-headquartered logistics company UPS reports an agreement with Newport Beach California-based Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to purchase 170 million gallon equivalents of renewable natural gas (RNG, aka biomethane) through 2026 -- the largest commitment for use of RNG to date by any company in the US with a range of 22.5 -- 25 million gallon equivalents per year.

RNG is a key part of UPS's strategy to increase alternative fuel consumption to be 40 pct of total ground fuel purchases by 2025, supporting the the company's efforts to reduce the absolute GHG emissions of its ground fleet 12 pct by 2025.

UPS has used more than 28 million gallons of RNG in its ground fleet since 2014. Since 2009, UPS has invested more than $1 billion in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles.(Source: UPS, PR, 28 May, 2019) Contact: UPS, Mike Casteel, UPS Director of Fleet Procurement, (404) 828-6000; Clean Energy Fuels, Andrew Littlefair, President and CEO, Ashley White, Corporate Sustainability, www.cleanenergyfuels.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Clean Energy Fuels Corp.,  UPS,  RNG,  

Capstone Turbine ,Green Energy Sustainable Solutions
Date: 2019-05-27
Van Nuys, California-based microturbine specialist Capstone Turbine Corporation and Raleigh, North Carolina-based Green Energy Sustainable Solutions, Inc. (GESS) are reporting a joint marketing agreement to further the awareness of biogas and renewable natural gas (RNG).

GESS is presently developing biogas projects across the US. Each project will produce 550,000 MMBtu worth of RNG to be directly injected into the national natural gas pipeline infrastructure. Under the new national account agreement, GESS would purchase a total of approximately $53 million of Capstone product. (Source: GESS, Capstone Turbine, Bioenergy Insight, 21 May, 2019)Contact: GESS International, (888) 662-4333, www.gessinternational.com; Capstone Turbine, Jim Crouse, VP Marketing, 818-407-3628, ir@capstoneturbine.com, www.capstoneturbine.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Capstone Turbine,  RNG,  Biogas,  Green Energy Sustainable Solutions,  

American Biogas Council
Date: 2019-05-24
The American Biogas Council (ABC) released the following statement in response to the Trump Administration's continued attempts to erode the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by the indiscriminate granting of small refinery "hardship" exemptions:

"The continued issuance of small refinery exemptions undermines the integrity of the Renewable Fuel Standard and imperils the ability of biogas and other renewable fuel producers to create new investments and jobs, especially in rural communities.

"As a program, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) works for the biogas industry. It has boosted American production of renewable fuels, brought new revenue streams to farmers and catalyzed investment in biogas systems. In fact, the number of biogas systems that have been built or upgraded to participate in the RFS has grown at a rate of 30 pct annually supplying valuable renewable fuel that can replace conventional natural gas. In the RFS, biogas and renewable natural gas (RNG) related projects represent the fastest growing sector of the RFS and are therefore critical to addressing the gap between the congressionally mandated fuel volumes and the EPA-lowered fuel volumes.

"But the recent management of the RFS program, in particular, the Administration's frequent issuance of small refinery ("hardship") exemptions has killed demand in this market-based program and is now impeding growth, development, infrastructure investments and the creation of quality American jobs. The prevalent issuance of exemptions has created the impression that any refinery can get one. As a result, small refineries and some larger ones, both in growing numbers, have stopped purchasing biogas hoping that each one might also be granted an exemption by the Administration to not comply with this congressionally mandated program. Due to the volume of fuel that most biogas systems produce, a large proportion of biogas systems sell to small refineries.

"The Administration must dramatically slow the issuance of small refinery exemptions (SREs) to small refineries and stop granting SREs to large or unqualified refineries. Indiscriminate and frequent issuance of SREs undermine the integrity of the RFS and imperil economic prosperity and energy security. The Administration needs to follow the law that Congress passed." (Source: American Biogas Council, PR, 23 May, 2019) Contact: ABC, Patrick Serfass, Exec. Dir., (202) 640-6595, info@americanbiogascouncil.org, www.AmericanBiogasCouncil.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS,  Hardship Waiver,  Biofuel,  American Biogas Council ,  Biogas,  

Barbados
Date: 2019-05-22
According to the Barbados Advocate, the Bridgetown-based non-profit organization Design Council SIDS, the island nation can play a leading role in the adoption and use of bioenergy. That's according to Industrial Designer Mark Hill as he revealed that they are in the process of commissioning a 250-kilowatt Chicken Manure Biogas Plant in St. Lucy, and plans for a plastics-to-energy project, as well as a 1 MW biogas facility for food waste and a 1.5 MW ryngas project on the island.

"We can and will lead in bio-energy, in particular the production of biomethane/renewable natural gas, the production of wood pellets, syngas, and we will fully explore the economic potential in these resources in order to meet the goal of 100 pct renewable energy by 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals," Hill said in an address to the recent Bio-Digestion: Benefits to Barbados conference in Bridgetown. Presently only an estimated 4 pct to 6 pct of Barbados' energy needs are being met by renewable. (Source: Barbados Design Council SIDS, Barbados Advocate, 18 May, 2019) Contact: Design Council SIDS, Mark Hill, www.facebook.com/designcouncilsids

More Low-Carbon Energy News Bioenergy,  Biogas,  Renewable Energy,  

U.S. Gain
Date: 2019-05-08
Appleton, Wisconsin-based U.S. Gain, a leader in development, procurement and distribution of sustainable energy solutions, is reporting completion of its sixth renewable natural gas (RNG) landfill development project at the Carter Valley Landfill in Church Hill, Tennessee.

Methane gas from Carter Valley Landfill, which is owned by recycling and non-hazardous solid waste disposal specialist Republic Services, Inc., is captured, cleaned, and converted to RNG for the transportation sector. The project will generate enough RNG to fuel more than 80 class 8 trucks daily, displacing almost 1,500,000 gpy of diesel.

As a vertically-integrated renewable natural gas (RNG) supplier, U.S. Gain is investing in development projects at landfills, dairies and wastewater treatment plants, expanding availability of the cleanest fuel and energy solution for leading companies, fleets and fueling station owners. With an in-house proprietary risk management system, U.S. Gain is able to generate and monetize renewable credits, maximizing values associated with renewable natural gas. U.S. Gain has also built a network of GAIN Clean Fuel® natural gas fueling stations throughout the United States and Canada (Source: U.S .Gain, PR, 7 May, 2019) Contact: U.S. Gain, Stephanie Lowney, Marketing Manager, (920) 381-2190, www.usgain.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News U.S. Gain,  Renewable Natural Gas,  RNG,  

Fortistar, TruStar,Beacon Energy
Date: 2019-05-03
White Plains, New York-based Fortistar reports it is extracting methane from landfills, converting it to RNG and, working with its affiliate TruStar Energy, paving the way for a sustainable transportation fuel supply chain.

For over 25 years, Fortistar has operated in dozens of landfill gas-to-energy projects in the U.S. and Canada while TruStar Energy has constructed 250 natural gas fueling stations.

Fortistar owns and operates lower carbon energy generating companies -- cogeneration facilities; waste-heat recovery power plants; compressed natural gas fueling stations; landfill power plants; projects that reduce carbon in industrial facilities and biomass facilities -- in Canada and the US.

Fortistar's portfolio of associated companies includes: Generational Power, TruStar Energy, Primary Energy, Fortistar Methane Group, Fortistar Biomass Group, Carbonfree Chemicals, Golden Renewable Energy and ClockIN. (Source: Fortistar, PR, May, 2019) Contact: Forttistar, Mark Comora, CEO, (914) 421-4937, MComora@fortistar.com, www.fortistar.com; TruStar Energy, www,turstarenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Fortistar,  Methane,  RNG,  Renewable Natural Gas,  Landfill Gas,  Beacon Energy,  

FortisBC
Date: 2019-04-26
On the Canadian Pacific coast, Surrey-based FortisBC reports the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George (RDFFG) has given it approval in principal for an agreement under which FortisBC will purchase landfill gas from the Foothills Boulevard Regional Landfill in Prince George. FortisBC will purify the gas and inject it into its distribution network as renewable natural gas (RNG).

The Landfill presently generates sufficient gas to produce up to 100,000 gigajoules of RNG per year -- enough to heat 1,000 homes or more.

According to the release, FortisBC currently works with five RNG suppliers and owns and operates two RNG purification plants on existing landfills. Subject to regulatory approvals, FortisBC will pay RDFFG a fixed price per gigajoule of energy for raw landfill gas. (Source: FortisBC, PR, 24 April, 2019) Contact: FortisBC, Douglas Stout, VP External Relations and Market Development, 604-576-7000, www.fortisbc.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Natural Gas,  FortisBC,  

SynTech Bioenergy,Waste Resource Technologies
Date: 2019-04-24
Englewood, Colorado-based carbon-negative clean energy specialist SynTech Bioenergy is reporting an agreement with Waste Resource Technologies, Inc. (WRT) to immediately begin deploying SynTech's proprietary BioMax® power generation solution to convert green waste collected by WRT, as well as fruit processing waste from certain agricultural operations on Oahu, HI, to renewable energy. This initial project will keep an estimated 1300 tpy of waste out of landfills or otherwise kept from normal decay, the methane from which would have been 21 times more harmful to the Hawaiian environment than CO2 -- up to 8000 tons of carbon, which will be removed from the local environments through the elimination of waste transportation, elimination of methane release and displacement of fossil fired power and heat by BioMax®

Waste Resource Technologies, Inc. (WRT) is a waste collection, recovery and conversion company with operations in California and Hawaii. WRT uses technologies from leading bioenergy companies to transform waste into sustainable resources such as baseload electricity, renewable natural gas, alternative fuel pellets, and biochar. (Source: SynTech Bioenergy, PR, 23 April, 2019) Contact: SynTech Bioenergy, Wayne McFarland, Chairman and CEO, www.syntechbioenergy.com; Bioenergy Hawaii, www.bioenergyhawaii.com; Waste Resource Technologies, Kosti Shrivanian, CEO,

More Low-Carbon Energy News SynTech Bioenergy,  Waste Resource Technologies,  

TruStar Energy
Date: 2019-04-22
White Plains, New York-based compressed natural gas (CNG) and renewable natural gas fuel specialist TruStar Energy is reporting the completion and opening of its 250th CNG transportation fuel station in Plainfield, Indiana.

Continuing to provide the industry reliable and cost-effective natural gas transportation fuel, this year the company expects to build approximately 35 pct of the market’s new stations. TruStar Energy will also embark on major growth initiatives of supplying renewable natural gas, sourced from landfills and digesters, to fleets and introducing new products for smaller fleets, so they too can realize the benefits of transitioning away from diesel. (Source: TruStar Energy, PR, 22 April, 2019) Contact: TruStar Energy, www.trustarenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News CNG,  Alternative Fuel,  Renewable Diesel,  

Brightmark Energy
Date: 2019-04-08
San Francisco-headquartered Brightmark Energy is touting the launch of its recently completed biogas project in Yakima County, Washington. The anaerobic digester project will convert 150,000 gpd of dairy cattle manure waste from up to 7,000 cows into 160,000 MMBtu of renewable natural gas (RNG) and other products each year.

Collaborating as Augean Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), Brightmark Energy, Promus Energy, and DeRuyter Dairies developed the project. Brightmark Energy will manage the joint venture and Promus Energy, the original developer, will serve as the project manager.

he Augean biogas project is supported by a $1.4 million in grant funding from Yakima County and a $500,000 Rural Energy for American Program (REAP) grant from the USDA.

Brightmark is currently developing similar biogas projects in New York, Wisconsin, Florida, and Minnesota, and is seeking feedstock suppliers with an interest in collaborating on waste to energy projects. The company develops, owns and operates waste and energy projects.

Promus Energy LLC, based in Washington State and New Mexico, was launched in 2010 to convert organic wastes into low carbon intensity, high-value renewable products, focusing specifically on dairy-derived renewable natural gas (RNG) and recovery of nutrients and fiber. (Source: Brightmark Energy, PR, 6 April, 2019) Contact: Brightmark Energy, Bob Powell, CEO, (415) 689-8395, info@brightmarkenergy.com; http://brightmarkenergy.com; Promus Energy LLC, www.promusenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Brightmark Energy,  Biogas,  Anaerobic Digestion,  

Fortistar, EDF Renewables North America
Date: 2019-04-03
In the Empire State, White Plains-based Fortistar LLC, in partnership with Ares Capital Corporation is reporting the acquisition of two western Pennsylvania-located landfill renewable natural gas (RNG) facilities, Greentree Landfill Gas in Kersey and Imperial Landfill Gas in Imperial, from EDF Renewables North America. Together, the two facilities have a a production capacity of 1.5 million decatherms of RNG per year.

Fueling trucks with Fortistar's RNG, will reduce 107,485 metric tons of CO2 per year -- equivalent to planting over 2.7 million trees each year.

Fortistar owns and operates lower carbon energy generating companies in the United States and Canada that support the transition to a low carbon economy. These companies include cogeneration facilities; waste-heat recovery power plants; compressed natural gas fueling stations; landfill power plants; projects that reduce carbon in industrial facilities, and biomass facilities. Fortistar associated companies include Generational Power, TruStar Energy, Primary Energy, Fortistar Methane Group, Fortistar Biomass Group, Carbonfree Chemicals, Golden Renewable Energy and ClockIN. (Source: Fortistar, PR 2 April, 2019) Contact: Fortistar, Mark Comora, CEO, www.fortistar.com ; Ares Capital Corporation, www.arescapitalcorp.com; EDF Renewables North America, Tristan Grimbert, President & CEO, Sandi Briner , (858) 521-3525, www.edf-re.com, www.edf-renewables.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News EDF Renewables North America,  Fortisatr,  Renewable Natural Gas,  RNG,  

Energir
Date: 2019-03-29
Qubec's largest natural gas distributor Energir -- formerly known as Gaz Metro -- is applauding the adoption of the regulation respecting the quantity of renewable natural gas (RNG) to be delivered by a distributor, as announced by the Quebec Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

The provincial regulation establishes a governing framework for one of the objectives of the 2030 Energy Policy Action Plan. The new regulation sets the minimum quantity of RNG produced in Quebec and to be injected by a natural gas distributor at 1 pct of the total quantity of natural gas the distributor distributes as of 2020, progressively increasing to 5 pct in 2025.

According to a recent study, the province has the technical and economic production potential to replace two-thirds of the natural gas currently distributed in Quebec with RNG by 2030. (Source: Energir, PR, 28 Mar., 2019) Contact: Energir, Sophie Brochu, Pres., CEO, (855) 393-1313 www.energir.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News RNG,  Renewable Natural Gas,  

Clean Energy Fuels
Date: 2019-03-15
Newport Beach, California-headquartered Clean Energy Fuels Corp. is reporting it will convert all its natural gas fuel to its renewable product, Redeem, by 2025 as it positions itself to offer the cleanest available fuel alternative to diesel through a broad distribution network. Redeem would be sold at all of the company's 530 stations in North America, including 160 of those that serve Class 8 fleets,

The plan comes as regulatory agencies are considering how to toughen emissions regulations for nitrogen oxide, which produces smog and acid rain, and affects the human respiratory system.

In 2014, the first full year Redeem was available, Clean Energy delivered 20 million gallons of Redeem to its stations. In 2018 , it delivered 110 million gallons of Redeem, which represents 53 pct of the renewable natural gas delivered in the market, according to the Newport Beach, Calif-based company. (Source: Clean Energy Fuels, Transport Topics, 14 Mar., 2019) Contact: Clean Energy Fuels, Andrew Littlefair, President and CEO, Ashley White, Corporate Sustainability, www.cleanenergyfuels.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News RNG,  Renewable Natural Gas,  Clean Energy Fuels,  

Anaergia
Date: 2019-03-13
Further to our December 14, 2018 coverage, Burlington, Ontario-based organics recycling solution provider Anaergia is reporting it will soon launch what it says will be North America's largest food waste diversion and energy recovery facility in Rialto, California. The plant will process 1,000 tpd of locally sourced food waste and bio-solids to produce pipeline-injected renewable natural gas (RNG).

The plant, which is slated to launch in mid-2020, will produce the equivalent of 13 MW of clean energy per year. The net CO2 emissions reduction will be approximately 220,000 metric tpy -- equivalent to removing 47,500 cars off the road. The project is co-funded by the California Energy Commission, U.S. DOE, CalRecycle, the state of California and significant private investment.

Anaergia's proprietary technology separates organics from mixed solid waste of any contamination level to recover energy and make fertilizer. The process involves anaerobic digestion (AD). (Source: Anaergia, Waste 360, Mar., 2019) Contact: Anaergia Andrew Benedek, CEO, (905) 766-3333 info@anaergia.com, www.anaergia.com, City of Rialto, Tom Crowley, Utilities Mgr., (909) 820-2608, www.yourrialto.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Anaergia,  Anerobic Digestion ,  

Renewable Dairy Fuels ,Amp Americas
Date: 2019-03-01
Renewable Dairy Fuels Chicago-headquartered parent company Amp Americas reports it plans to boost biogas production by 30 pct at Fair Oaks Farms, the popular agritourist destination in Fair Oaks, Newton County, Indiana. Fairs Oaks Farms presently processes more than 800,000 gpd of cattle manure methane into compressed renewable natural gas that is shipped out through NIPSCO's pipeline system. With the latest expansion, the Fair Oaks operation can produce more than 2.3 million gpy of renewable transportation fuel from dairy waste.

The Fair Oaks Farm is the second-largest renewable natural gas production facility in the country, after the new Renewable Dairy Fuels' operation that opened in Jasper County in August of 2018. Between the two operations, Amp Americas's renewable fuels production capacity stands at approximately 5 million gpy. Amp Americas also operates 20 CNG filling stations nationwide. (Source: AMP Americas, nwi.com, 28 Feb., 2019) Contact: Amp Americas, Grant Zimmerman, CEO, info@ampamericas.com, (312) 300-6700, (312) 380-0206 - fax., www.ampamericas.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biogas,  Methane,  CNG,  Biofuel,  

Southern California Gas
Date: 2019-03-01
In the Golden State, Los Angeles-headquartered Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) reports it has filed a request with the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) seeking to offer "carbon-neutral" renewable natural gas (RNG) in Central and Southern California.

Under the SoCalGas proposal, millions of Californians would have the option to purchase a portion of their natural gas from renewable sources. The program is expected to create increased demand for renewable natural gas, which should help increase supply and lower its cost over time, similar to what has happened with renewable electricity created from wind and solar power, according to SoCalGas.

A 2016 study by the University of California, Davis found California has the potential to produce approximately 90.6 billion cubic feet (bcf) per year of renewable natural gas from dairy, landfill, municipal solid waste, and wastewater treatment plant sources alone -- sufficient to meet the annual natural gas needs of around 2.3 million California homes. According to the U.S. DOE the U.S. currently produces 1 trillion cubic feet of renewable natural gas every year, and that number is expected to increase to 10 trillion by 2030. (Source: Southern California Gas Company, PR, 28 Feb., 2019) Contact: Southern California Gas Company, Sharon Tomkins, VP customer solutions and strategy. www.socalgas.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Southern California Gas ,  Biogas,  Methane Renewable Natural Gas,  

GTI
Date: 2019-02-15
The Des Plaines, Illinois-headquartered Gas Technology Institute (GTI) has released a site-specific engineering design titled Low-Carbon Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from Wood Wastes, a blueprint for converting an existing biomass facility into an RNG production site, using the wood waste feedstock.

New RNG production facilities using the commercial technologies outlined in the analysis could reduce criteria pollutants by approximately 99 pct compared to existing operational biomass power plants and produce a very low carbon fuel in the base case and below zero in the case including carbon sequestration technologies, according to the study.

The engineering design illustrated in the report was performed by GTI, Black & Veatch, Andritz, and Haldor Topsoe. The engineering design study was funded by California Air Resources Board (CARB), PG&E, SoCalGas, Northwest Natural and SMUD.

Download Low-Carbon Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from Wood Wastes report HERE. (Source: GTI, Feb., Green Car Congress, 15 Feb., 2019) Contact: GTI, Vann Bush, VP Technology Technology Development and Commercialization, (847)768-0500, www.gastechnology.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News GTI,  RNG,  Woody Biomass,  Rnewable Natural Gas,  

Renewable Fuel Standard ,Renewable Fuels Association, RFA
Date: 2019-02-08
A recently released Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) commissioned study claims the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) has been a tremendous success in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with nearly 600 million metric tons of GHG reduction since 2007 -- surpassing the EPA original expectations of 422 million metric tons, according to the study. The analysis was conducted by Life Cycle Associates, a California-based scientific consulting firm, and commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Foundation (RFF).

The study credits the larger-than-expected GHG reductions to: the adoption of technology improvements in the production of corn-based ethanol, resulting in far greater GHG reductions than originally estimated by EPA; the GHG emissions of petroleum are higher than the baseline estimates originally projected by EPA; and advanced biofuels like biodiesel, renewable diesel, and renewable natural gas have contributed additional GHG reductions, even though actual cellulosic biofuel production has been lower than initially projected. The study also notes that the conventional ethanol consumed in 2018 reduced GHG emissions by 43 pct compared to EPA's initial projections that conventional ethanol would achieve only a 20 pct GHG reduction versus petroleum.

Download the study HERE. (Source: RFA, 6 Feb., 2019) Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, Pres., CEO, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News GHG Emissions,  Renewable Fuel Standard,  Renewable Fuels Association,  Climate Change,  RFA ,  

Renaissance Technologies
Date: 2019-01-04
East Setauket, NY-headquartered Renaissance Technologies LLC reports it has raised its position in Clean Energy Fuels Corp. by 58.4 pct, according to its most recent SEC filing.. With this move,the firm holds 3.35 pct of Clean Energy Fuels worth $17,708,000, according to the SEC filing.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. provides natural gas as an alternative fuel for vehicle fleets in the United States and Canada. The company supplies renewable natural gas (RNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), and liquefied natural gas (LNG) for light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles; and provides operation and maintenance services for vehicle fleet customer stations. (Source: Renaissance Technologies, Clean Energy Fuels, Fairfield Current, 4 Jan., 2018) Contact: Renaissance Technologies, www.rentec.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renaissance Technologies news,  Clean Energy Fuels news,  RNG news,  

RFS,Advanced Biofuels Business Council
Date: 2018-12-07
"Specifically, I'm glad levels for biodiesel are maintained and slightly increased. And although the levels for advanced biofuels and cellulosic biofuels don't represent the full potential of the industry, they are very promising and will help significantly." -- Sen. Chuck Grassley (R), www.grassley.senate.gov

"It is time to get our America First fuel policy back on track, and we encourage the acting EPA administrator to hold oil refiners accountable and maintain the integrity of the Renewable Fuel Standard." -- Kyle Gilley, Snr VP External Affairs and Communications, POET, www.poet.com

"The final targets open new possibilities for advanced and cellulosic biofuels, but without a check on abusive EPA waivers, we'll continue to see plants closing their doors or idling production. The agency cannot fulfill the president's commitments in the heartland without putting a lid on handouts to oil giants like Chevron and Andeavor." -- Brooke Coleman, Exec. Dir., Advanced Biofuels Business Council, www.advancedbiofuels.org

"It reflects continued growth in the renewable natural gas industry. The growth in production of renewable natural gas and the completion of nearly 50 new production facilities from coast to coast since 2014 is proof positive that the RFS is working as intended for cellulosic and advanced biofuels." -- Johannes Escudero, CEO, Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, www.rngcoalition.com

"While the numbers are a positive step forward and they hold promise with a 15-billion-gallon commitment to starch ethanol and 418 million gallons of cellulosic biofuels, the billions of lost gallons due to excessive small refinery exemptions need to be accounted for." -- Emily Skor, CEO, Growth Energy, www.growthenergy.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Grassley,  POET,  RFS,  Growth Energy,  

Ontario, E15
Date: 2018-12-05
The province of Ontario is touting its "Greener Gasoline" plan to move from a E5 blend to a E10 ethanol fuel blend by 2020. Key elements of the Greener Gasoline plan include: increasing renewable fuels content in gasoline to 15 pct as early as 2025; the increased use of renewable natural gas and other lower-carbon fuels will be encouraged; large emitters will be subject to emission performance standards; and a $350 million Carbon Trust Fund and a $50 million Ontario Reverse Auction Fund will provide financial assistance for emission reduction initiatives.

The plan builds on the amended Ethanol in Gasoline & Greener Diesel regulations that will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

Download details of Canada's Clean Fuel Standard HERE. (Source: Prov. of Ontario, Farm Progress, 3 Oct., 2018) Contact: Advanced Biofuels Canada, Ian Thomson, Pres., (604) 947-0040, info@advancedbiofuels.ca, www.advancedbiofuels.ca

More Low-Carbon Energy News Advanced Biofuels Canada,  E15,  Biofuel,  Biofuel Blend,  

Smithfield Food,Dominion Energy
Date: 2018-11-30
In the Old Dominion State, Smithfield Foods Inc. reports it is partnering with Dominion Energy are forming Align Renewable Natural Gas (Align), a joint venture company that will capture methane emissions from hog farms and convert them into clean renewable energy for residential home heating and power for local businesses. The JV has also announced their first projects in North Carolina, Virginia and Utah.

The companies The new joint venture will leverage Smithfield's relationships with contract hog farmers and the company's "manure-to-energy" anaerobic digestion project experience and expertise. Once collected and processed, the methane will be transported to a central conditioning facility where it will be converted into RNG. (Source: Smithfield Food Co., 27 Nov., 2018) Contact: Align RNG, www.alignrng.com; Smithfield Food, (757) 365-3000, www.smithfieldfoods.com; Dominion Energy, www.dominionenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News anaerobic digestion,  Methane,  Smithfield Food,  Dominion Energy,  

GESS International
Date: 2018-11-21
Raleigh, North Carolina-based GESS International reports ground breaking on its new biomass plant at the Wilson County Green Energy Biogas Park in Stantonsburg NC, and a second plant at the Union County Green Energy Biogas Park in Monroe, NC. Both biogas production plants are expected to start construction in Q1 of 2019 and become fully operational by Q3 of 2020.

The plants are expected to process 160,000 tpy of swine waste and 80,000 tpy of green biomass to produce 500,000 MMBtu of renewable natural gas per year -- sufficient power for approximately 6,800 homes.

GESS is a global renewable energy services company with over 350 completed projects worldwide. GESS, Inc. has over 21 years of expertise in providing energy-efficient solutions using co-generation and renewable energy resources such as solar and biogas. From consulting to managing operations of our completed projects, GESS offers design and implementation solutions with direct economic impact for its' customers and their communities, according to the company website. (Source: GESS International, PRWEB, STL News, 19 Nov., 2018) Contact: GESS Int'l, Olga Bryzhan, Director, (888) 662 4333, info@gessinternational.com, https://gessinternational.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News GESS International,  Biomass,  

DTE Energy
Date: 2018-11-19
In August, Detroit-headquartered utility DTE Energy reported the ground breaking on its first dairy Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) project, which is expected to come online in 2019. in Wisconsin.

DTE is now seeking to expand its RNG capacity and assets as it plans to retire 6,400 MW of coal generation by 2040 while adding around 7,500 MW of renewable and gas generation during the same period. (Source: DTE, Energy Insider, 14 Nov., 2018)Contact: DTE Energy, Irene Dimitry, VP Business Planning & Development, David Harwood, Renewable Energy Dir., www2.dteenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News DTE Energy,  Landfill Gas,  

DuPont,Verbio
Date: 2018-11-19
Further to our Nov. 9th coverage, the Des Moines Register reports DuPont will repay $10.5 million in incentives it received in 2011 from the state of Iowa for its 30-million gpy, $400 million cellulosic ethanol plant in Nevada, Iowa.

The DuPont plant produced ethanol from corn cobs, stalks and other crop residue before being shuttered in 2017. As previously reported Michigan-based Verbio North America is purchasing the facility and plans to invest $35 million to convert the plant to produce renewable natural gas (RNG) from corn stover. (Source: DuPont, Des Moines Register, AP, 16 Nov., 2018))Contact: Verbio, +49 (0) 3493 747-40, www.verbio.de/en

More Low-Carbon Energy News DuPont,  Verbio,  Corn Stover,  RNG,  Cellulosic Ethanol,  

Aria Energy,South Shelby RNG LLC
Date: 2018-11-16
South Shelby RNG LLC, a part of Novi, Michigan based Aria Energy, has reportedly applied for a building permit for a $3.3 million landfill renewable natural gas (RNG) plant adjacent to the South Shelby Landfill operated by Republic Services in Memphis, Tenn.

Aria Energy has developed, constructed or acquired more than 50 facilities over the past 25 years in 16 states. Together, those sites produce 223 MW of electricity and 19.9 million BTUs a day of renewable natural gas, according to the company. (Source: Aria Energy, Daily Menphian, 14 Nov., 2018) Contact: Aria, Richard DiGia, CEO, (248) 380-3920, www.ariaenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Landfill Gas,  Methane.RNG,  Aria Energy,  

Southern California Gas
Date: 2018-09-19
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) reports it will soon begin a pilot project using renewable natural gas (RNG) for the first time at its 25 utility-owned natural gas vehicle fueling stations and at six fueling stations in the San Diego area.

RNG fuel is produced from the methane generated in landfills, wastewater treatment plants, food processing and dairy operations and, depending on its source, can be low-carbon or in some cases, even carbon-negative, according to SoCalGas, the largest natural gas distribution utility in the U.S. (Source: SoCalGas, 17 Sept., 2018) Contact: SoCalGas, Jeff Reed, Director Business Strategy and Advanced Technology, www.socalgas.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Southern California Gas ,  SoCalGas,  RNG,  Renewable Natural Gas,  

Methane,DTE
Date: 2018-08-10
In Kewaunee, Wisconsin, Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy, in partnership with Detroit-based DTE Energy, is reporting ground breaking on the state's first rewewable natural gas (RNG) project.

The project will use underground anaerobic digesters to process daily cattle manure into methane gas that will then be converted into RNG transportation fuel.

According to DTE VP for Business Development Kevin Dobson, the process will reduce yearly greenhouse gas emissions significantly -- equivalent to removing 9,200 vehicles from the road and saving five million gallons of gasoline. The project is expected to be in operation early next year. (Source: Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy, WBAY Action News 2, 8 Aug., 2018)Contact: Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy, J.J Pagel, CEO, (920) 388-3333, www.pagelsponderosa.com; DTE Energy, Kevin Dobson, Business Dev., www2.dteenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Natural Gas,  DTE,  anaerobic digestion,  Methane ,  

Montauk Energy
Date: 2018-08-03
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-headquartered Montauk Energy LLC reports it has inked an 80 -20 joint venture agreement under which it will extract and convert cow manure on a California dairy farm into natural gas. Under the JV agreement, Montauk will own and operate a manure digester and build, own and operate a renewable natural gas (RNG) facility for 20 years.

Montauk which has been engaged in commercial-scale development of renewable energy facilities for more than 30 years, was spun off from South African black empowerment investment company Hosken Consolidated Investments in 2014 but remains listed on the JSE.

The company extracts and converts methane gas from waste landfills across the US where it benefits from subsidies through the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. (Source: Montauk Energy LLC, Business Day, 2 Aug., 2018) Contact: Montauk Energy LLC, Marty Ryan, CEO, (412) 747-8700, www.montaukenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Montauk Energy,  Biogas,  Anearobic Digestion,  

Air Liquide
Date: 2018-07-30
Air Liquide is reporting the opening of the first large-scale biomethane production facility in the United States at the the Northeast Mississippi Solid Waste Management Authority-owned Northeast Mississippi Landfill in Walnut. The landfill receives about 350,000 tons of waste per year and is operated by national solid waste company Waste Connections Inc.

The facility uses Air Liquide's gas separation membrane technology to purify the landfill methane and converts it to renewable natural gas which is fed into the Kinder Morgan Natural Gas Pipeline, reintroducing the gas back into the energy grid. (Source: Air Liquide, Daily Journal, 27 July, 2018)Contact: Air Liquide, Chet Benham, VP Advanced Technologies, (781) 491-0807, www.airliquide.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Air Liquide,  Biogas,  Biomethane,  Methane,  Landfill Gas,  

Clean Energy Fuels
Date: 2018-07-11
Newport Beach, California-headquartered Clean Energy Fuels Corp. reports that Brookhaven, NY, a municipality that previously abandoned diesel for Redeem™ renewable natural gas (RNG) has extended Clean Energy's contract for another five years. Brookhaven is Clean Energy's first customer in New York to move to Redeem™ renewable natural gas (RNG), the cleanest fueling option available, with an expected volume of 550,000 gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs) annually to power 80 new refuse and recycling trucks.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. builds and operates compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) vehicle fuel stations nationwide. The company's Redeem RNG fuel is the cleanest transportation fuel commercially available, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70 pct, according to the company. (Source: Clean Energy Fuels, PR, BusinessWire, 10 July, 2018) Contact: Clean Energy Fuels, Raleigh Gerber, (949) 437-1397, raleigh.gerber@cleanenergyfuels.com, www.CleanEnergyFuels.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Clean Energy Fuels ,  RNG,  Alternative Fuel,  

Renewi
Date: 2018-06-01
In British Columbia, the city of Surrey is reporting its recently opened $68-million Biofuel Facility in Port Kells has been lauded by the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA), a national, non-profit association open to all Chief Administrative Officers and City Managers, fot its commitment to environmentally sustainable governance, protecting the environment and to combating climate change.

The Biofuel Facility is expected to divert more than 115,000 tpy of residential and commercial organic waste from the landfill and produce approximately 120,000 gigajoules of renewable natural gas (RNG) -- sufficient to fuel the city's entire waste collection and service vehicles fleet , as well as provide renewable fuel for Surrey's district energy system. It will also help reduce community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 49,000 tpy.

The facility was designed, financed and will be operated under a 25-year partnership agreement with a UK-based company, Renewi. The Canadian federal government contributed approximately $16.9 million to the project and Renewi covered the remaining cost of the $68 million project. (Source: Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators, City of Surrey, 30 May, 2018) Contact: Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators, www.camacam.ca; Renewi, www.renewiplc.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel,  Renewi,  

Xebec Adsorption
Date: 2018-05-18
Quebec, Canada-headquartered Xebec Adsorption Inc., a global provider of gas generation, purification, and filtration solutions for the energy and renewables marketplace, reports it has inked an exclusive Market Development and Commercialization Agreement with Monza, Italy-based , Sapio Group.

Under the agreement, Sapio is committed to purchase multiple Xebec biogas upgrading plants totaling €33 million ($39 million) to be delivered over three years. Sapio Group is the largest industrial gas company in Italy. Its business model includes the production and distribution of bio-liquefied natural gas (bio-LNG) throughout Italy. The two companies anticipate 30 to 40 bio-LNG facilities will be built over the next 3 to 5 years. Xebec will provide the biogas upgrading units, including a CO2 reduction module, that will lower the CO2 content in the product gas down to 50 ppm, allowing for on-site liquefaction of the renewable natural gas (RNG) and conversion into bioLNG. (Source: Xebec Adsorption, PR, 17 May, 2018) . Contact: Xebec Adsorption, Kurt Sorschak, President, 450)-979-8700, www.xebecinc.com; Sapio Group, +39 039 83981 - Fax +39 039 836068, gruppo@sapio.it, www.grupposapio.it/en

More Low-Carbon Energy News Xebec ,  Biogas,  

Fortistar, LLC
Date: 2018-05-14
In the Empire State, White Plains-based Fortistar, LLC, a sustainability-focused private company helping to facilitate the transition to a zero-carbon economy, is reporting David Unger, former Director of Renewable Energy at Waste Management, has joined Fortistar as the Senior VP responsible for developing renewable natural gas (RNG) projects.

RNG is carbon-neutral and chemically identical to geological natural gas, and can be used as a transportation fuel in natural gas vehicles and trucks.

Fortistar is an opportunity-oriented, private investment and energy asset management firm focused on lower carbon energy operations, financing and development. Fortistar owns and operates lower carbon energy generating companies in the US and Canada that support the transition to a low carbon economy. These companies include cogeneration facilities; waste-heat recovery power plants; compressed natural gas fueling stations; landfill power plants; projects that reduce carbon in industrial facilities, and biomass facilities. Our portfolio of associated companies includes Generational Power, TruStar Energy, Primary Energy, Fortistar Methane Group, Fortistar Biomass Group, Carbonfree Chemicals, accoreding to Fortistar. (Source: Fortistar, PR, Citzens Tribune, 14 May, 2018) Contact: Fortistar, Mark Comora, Pres., (914) 421-4900, info@fortistar.com, www.fortistar.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Fortistar,  RNG,  Renewable Natural Gas,  

Surrey
Date: 2018-04-06
In British Columbia, the city of Surrey reports the launch of a program that will process discarded food scraps and garden waste "biomatter" into renewable fuel at its recently opened $68 million, Surrey Biofuel Facility.

Under the program, food scraps and garden waste collected from residential green bins will be fermented to produce natural gas that will be used to fuel city vehicles.

The 160,000 square feet plant is capable of producing 120,000 gigajoules of renewable natural gas annually which, according to the facility website, is enough to power 8,500 cars for a year. In addition, the program will prevent 50,000 tpy of greenhouse gases from being pumped into the atmosphere, according to a CBC report. (Source: City of Surrey, The Runners, CBC, April, 2018) Contact: City of Surrey, (604) 591-4011, citymanager@surrey.ca, www.surrey.ca

More Low-Carbon Energy News Waste-to-Biofuel,  Biofuel,  

Duke Energy,OptimaBio
Date: 2018-03-30
A Duke Energy power plant is using renewable natural gas (RNG) from North Carolina-based hog farms to produce electricity -- the first application of the technology from in-state farms. The OptimaBio facility gathers methane gas from five local hog farms and converts it to pipeline-quality natural gas that will be injected into the Piedmont Natural Gas system which transports it to Duke Energy's Smith Energy Complex in Richmond County where it is used to produce electricity.

The project will help Duke Energy satisfy state swine waste-to-energy mandates under the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard law in North Carolina. Under this law, Duke Energy must generate 0.20 percent of its retail sales from swine waste by 2023.

Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., OptimaBio is a swine waste-to-energy project developer and the leader in RNG development for North Carolina. (Source: Duke Energy, PR, 29 Mar., 2018) Contact: Duke Energy, Randy Wheeless, (704) 382-8379, Randy.wheeless@duke-energy.com, www.dukeenergy.com; OptimaBio, Mark Maloney, (910) 632-0752, mark@pig.energy, www.pig.energy

More Low-Carbon Energy News OptimaBio,  Renewable Natural Gas,  RNG,  Duke Energy,  

ALTECH Group,CHAR Technologies
Date: 2018-03-07
Mississauga, Ontario-based CHAR Technologies Ltd. is reporting acquisition of the ALTECH Group in an effort to expand the offering of its SulfaCHAR and CleanFyre.

SulfaCHAR removes hydrogen sulfide from renewable natural gas -- biogas from anaerobic digesters and landfill gas -- as well as other contaminants from industrial air emissions. CleanFyre® is a bio-coal product that is a cost effective substitute with similar energy potential to coal as a fossil fuel. The major advantage of bio-coal is that it is Greenhouse Gas (GHG) neutral. Companies replacing coal with CleanFyre will be eligible to earn GHG Credits in the fight for Climate Change.

The ALTECH Group provides environmental engineering solutions to industry in North America in the areas of air pollution control, industrial energy efficiency, and process water recycling. (Source: CHAR Technologies, HazMat, 6 Mar., 2018) Contact: ALTECH Group, Alex Keen, akeen@altech-group.com, www.altech-group.com; CHAR Technologies, Andrew White, andrew.white@chartechnologies.com, www.chartechnologies.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Bio-coal,  ALTECH Group,  CHAR Technologies,  Biogas,  

RNG
Date: 2018-03-07
In Hartford, the Connecticut legislature is studying a bill that if passed into law would require gas companies to ensure at least 5 pct of their products or services be from landfill methane -- renewable natural gas (RNG) -- by 2033.

The legislation would create an RNG renewable portfolio standard, establish a procurement process, and direct the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to establish quality standards for RNG, as well as require electric distribution companies to acquire electricity from a biomass facility.

Connecticut reportedly has potential capacity for 41 MW of electricity from RNG that could displace 540,000 tpy of CO2. (Source: Various Media, UtilityDive, 6 Mar., 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biogas,  RNG,  Landfill Methane,  Landfill Gas,  

Renewable Dairy Fuels
Date: 2018-02-14
Following up on our October 6, 2017 coverage, Chicago-headquartered CNG and RNG producer and marketer AMP Americas' unit Renewable Dairy Fuels (RDF) reports construction is underway on the "U.S.' biggest on-farm anaerobic-digester-to-vehicle-fuel operation" in Fair Oaks, Indiana. The project, which is slated for completion and startup this summer, is RDF's second biogas facility producing renewable natural gas (RNG) from dairy waste for transportation fuel.

The project's three digesters will convert 950 tpd of dairy cattle waste into 100 pct RNG that will be injected into the NIPSCO pipeline. Each of the digesters is a Mixed Plug Flow digester designed and built by DVO Inc.

Amp Americas received the first dairy waste-to-vehicle fuel pathway certified by California's Air Resources Board (CARB) and was also awarded a Carbon Intensity score of 254.94 gCO2e/MJ, the lowest ever issued by CARB, according to Amp Americas. (Source: AMP Americas, Renewable Dairy Fuels, NGT, 12 Feb., 2018) Contact: AMP Americas, Grant Zimmerman, CEO, (312) 300-6700, www.ampcng.com; Renewable Dairy Fuels, (219) 712-3511; CARB, (800) 242-4450, helpline@arb.ca.gov, www.arb.ca.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News AMP America,  anaerobic-digester,  Biogas,  Renewable Natural Gas,  RNG,