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Ontario Invest in Environmentally Friendly Agriculture Practices and American Companies, in RNG
Here’s an overview of key biogas news.
GOVERNMENT POLICIES & LAW
Japan, world’s third largest economy, vows to become carbon neutral by 2050
Japan’s new prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, committed his country on Monday to reaching a target of zero emissions of greenhouse gases and achieving a carbon-neutral society by 2050, with a “fundamental shift” in policy on coal use. Suga outlined the major move in his country’s attitude toward climate change in his first policy speech to Japan’s parliament since taking office last month. “Responding to climate change is no longer a constraint on economic growth,” he said. “We need to change our thinking to the view that taking assertive measures against climate change will lead to changes in industrial structure and the economy that will bring about great growth.”
Read more on The Washington Post
Ontario Supporting Farmers Through Research Investments
Ontario is investing $6.52 million into more than 40 agri-food research projects that will support the production of safe, high-quality food, stimulate economic growth, and contribute to even more environmentally friendly agriculture practices. Through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between the Ontario government and the University of Guelph, funded research projects underway include: Enhancing integrated pest management for leaf diseases in onions, Using breeding and genomic approaches to develop disease-resistant soybeans for Ontario’s changing environment, etc.
CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES
El Salvador advances wastewater to energy project
El Salvador’s state power company CEL has launched bidding to design a biogas plant as part of a cleanup project for capital San Salvador’s metropolitan region. The consultancy work entails the design of a wastewater treatment plant on the Acelhuate river and associated biogas production, transport and storage systems that will supply electricity generation units for a minimum 2.85MW. CEL highlights that the city’s wastewater is discharged into the river through five principal collectors without treatment. The contract includes the design of a solar system for at least 1.9MWp and a hydro system for at least 0.45MW to be installed at the treatment plant, along with the design of a 32kV substation and a 3.2km wastewater collector.
Italy to have hydrogen-powered trains
Announced by Reuters on Thursday (22), an agreement signed by the Italian railway operator Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) with Europe’s largest natural gas transport group, Snam, is an attempt to make hydrogen use in the transport via “FS” trains. The agreement is historic, as it is the first time that a state-owned railway company and an energy group have formalized an agreement aimed at using hydrogen as a possible solution to meet climate targets. The two companies officially announced on Wednesday (21) that they were setting up a working group to evaluate pilot projects aimed at replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen on the national rail network.
Read more on SOMAG News
COMPANIES & ORGANIZATIONS
DMT, Nacelle & US Gain Complete Dairy RNG Project, Deer Run Farm
Through an ongoing pandemic, DMT Clear Gas Solutions, a leading technology supplier in biogas conditioning and upgrading, announces its fourth renewable natural gas (RNG) project with Nacelle Solutions, a provider for gas conditioning technologies and service for the energy and biogas industries, is operational. Deer Run Farm, located in Coon Valley, Wisconsin, has been part of a series of four projects with Nacelle and U.S. Gain, a leader in the development and distribution of RNG, to convert dairy manure into RNG.
Read more on DMT Clear Gas Solutions
LS Power invests in US landfill RNG projects
US power and energy infrastructure firm LS Power has invested in a portfolio of renewable natural gas (RNG) projects. LS Power partnered with The Landfill Group, a North Carolina-based developer and operator of landfill gas projects, to jointly develop a portfolio of landfill-gas-to-RNG projects throughout the US. The firm has also acquired an interest in a landfill-gas-to-RNG project in Lawrence, Kansas, operated by The Landfill Group. The projects have long-term contracts with host landfills and convert landfill gas gathered onsite into pipeline-quality RNG.
Read more on Bioenergy Insight
Cherriots Enters RNG Supply Contract with U.S. Gain
Cherriots, also known as Salem Area Mass Transit District (SAMTD), has entered a renewable natural gas (RNG) supply agreement with U.S. Gain, a renewable fuel provider that specializes in RNG for medium- and heavy-duty fleets throughout the U.S. More than half of the district’s buses now operate on RNG, which reduces harmful smog forming tailpipe emissions by more than 90% and greenhouse gas emissions by more than 40%. Switching to RNG is also giving SAMTD a significant financial benefit. The cost savings from using RNG will allow Cherriots to expand its bus service and will help to maintain affordable fare prices.
RESEARCHES & STUDIES
SoCalGas Unleashes California-Produced RNG Fueling
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) said renewable natural gas (RNG) supply now is flowing at most of the natural gas vehicle fueling stations it operates. The Sempra Energy utility recently began purchasing RNG from multi-dairy connected Calgren Dairy Fuels in the state. Calgren produces RNG as part of a rapidly growing biomethane industry. Eventually, 18 dairies are to be connected. In the next three-plus years, 160 RNG production facilities are scheduled to be online in the state to produce more than 15.8 million therms/year, replacing about 119 million gallons of diesel fuel, according to SoCalGas.
Read more on Natural Gas Intel
Why you MUST invest in anaerobic digestion and biogas to build back greener
We were disappointed to read the recent column by Feedback’s Executive Director Carina Millstone, in Responsible Investor criticising investment in the anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas industry as a “distraction” from efforts to reduce food waste and “build back better”. Contrary to her claims, we agree with Feedback that food waste, and all other organic wastes, must be reduced wherever possible. Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association’s position has always been that only unavoidable food waste should be sent to AD. We fully embrace WRAP’s food waste hierarchy which prioritises food waste prevention and redistribution, and where only food which can no longer be eaten or redistributed is recycled using the most optimal technology – AD – as the preferred option.
Read more on Responsible Investor
Poultry litter to biogas: adding more value to farm waste
The benefits of using chicken litter as fertiliser are well known. As the poultry industry grows, however, other uses for it must be found. Dr Idan Chiyanzu and Primrose Magama of the Agricultural Research Council’s Institute for Agricultural Engineering explain how energy can be generated from litter. Smaller poultry businesses, comprising mainly broiler and egg producers and suppliers of day-old chicks, are helping address the need for job creation. But this growing industry has a problem: how to manage the environmental impact of ever-greater volumes of poultry litter.