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Biogas/RNG as a local economic driver at the heart of the headlines
Here’s an overview of key biogas news.
GOVERNMENT POLICIES & LAW
Renewable gas: A sound option to fight organic waste
Let’s play a game: what would you do with 25 million tons of organic waste annually? Here are a few tidbits to spark your imagination: Organic waste includes food and green waste, landscaping and pruning waste, lumber, fiber, sewage and sludges. The Puente Hills Landfill in Los Angeles is the largest landfill in the United States (rising 500 feet high and covering 700 acres) and it has a capacity of 700 million tons. However, there is one caveat for this exercise that I forgot to mention — none of the organic waste can go to a landfill.
Government extends deadline for Renewable Heat Incentive projects
The government has confirmed it is extending the deadline for applications to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme by a year. It was set up to encourage the uptake of renewable heat technologies among households, communities and businesses by providing financial incentives to contribute towards the UK’s 2020 goal of 12% of heating coming from renewable sources. Under previous regulations, all plants will a tariff guarantee would have needed to commence injection of biomethane by 31st January 2020 or 183 days after the date when the applicant expected the project to begin.
France to uphold ban on sale of fossil fuel cars by 2040
France – which has a large car manufacturing industry – says it will help producers switch to electricity, hydrogen and possibly biogas. The French government’s new law on mobility will uphold a planned ban on fossil fuel-powered cars by 2040, Transport Minister Elizabeth Borne said on Tuesday. Former environment minister Nicolas Hulot said in July 2017 – at the beginning of President Emmanuel Macron’s term – that France aimed to end the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2040 in a bid to become carbon neutral by 2050.
Read more on Thomson Reuters Foundation News
CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES
How one utility powers its entire plant from wastewater
Between flushing the toilet, bathing, and washing dishes, the average person in the United States generates almost 100 gallons of wastewater each day. But one utility in the suburbs of Chicago is using the waste it extracts from that sewage to generate the energy that powers its entire plant. NewsHour Weekend’s Christopher Booker reports. Between flushing the toilet, bathing, and washing dishes, the average person in the United States generates almost 100 gallons of wastewater each day. And dealing with that water requires a lot of resources. In fact, treating water, including sewage, accounts for 3 to 4% of all the energy used in the United States.
King County offering new grant opportunities for projects to help prevent commercial food waste
The King County Solid Waste Division has issued a Request for Proposal for projects that prevent or reduce food waste generated by commercial enterprises in King County outside the cities of Seattle and Milton. Up to $50,000, per project, is available for grant funding. The commercial sector includes businesses, schools, government offices and other institutions. This is a great opportunity for individuals and organizations to receive funding for visionary food prevention/reduction projects that help King County achieve its goal of zero waste and resources, while also reducing the effects of climate change and conserving space in the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill.
Read more on King County’s Website
Pilot project will turn organic waste into clean energy source
San Mateo County is set to launch a new landfill diversion pilot project that will convert organic materials into a clean energy source using an Organics Extrusion Press (OREX). Today, the County’s Board of Supervisors approved funding for the OPEX, which is expected to begin operating in December this year. From its home at the Shoreway Environmental Center in San Carlos, OREX is expected to extract between 50 and 75 tons of organic material per day from waste that would otherwise head to landfills and composting facilities.
COMPANIES & ORGANIZATIONS
GESS International announces $240M worth of biogas projects in Cassia County
GESS International has announced a $240 million investment in Cassia County. The company will build six anaerobic digester facilities near Burley, Idaho, totaling $40 million for each digester and making it a part of the company’s first tranche biogas plants in the US. GESS International is a renewable energy development company that specializes in solar and biogas projects around the US and internationally. “GESS is excited to be a part of the welcoming community of Southern Idaho.
Read more on GESS International
Snam to Build 110 Natural Gas Filling Stations with Assistance from EIB
Snam, a European leader in gas infrastructure, has signed a major loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to fund the roll-out of sustainable mobility projects, which focus on the use of natural gas and biomethane for light and heavy vehicles. This is the first EIB loan obtained by Snam for its wholly owned subsidiary, Snam4Mobility, which operates in the sustainable mobility sector. The investment subject to the loan agreement concerns the construction of 101 CNG (compressed natural gas) and 9 L-CNG (liquefied and compressed gas) refuelling stations in Italy for a total of around 50 million euro, of which 50% will be loaned from EIB.
RESEARCHES & STUDIES
Natural Gas Use in the Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Transportation Sector – Roadmap 2.0 – June 2019
The 2010 Natural Gas Use in the Canadian Transportation Sector Deployment Roadmap Initiative has been updated. The June 2019 report is titled Natural Gas Use in the Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Transportation Sector Roadmap 2.0. This work to update the report was undertaken under the auspices of the Natural Gas Roadmap Implementation Committee and facilitated by Natural Resources Canada. Roadmap 2.0 builds on the observations and recommendations of the 2010 report. It includes updated information on natural gas supply – a section on renewable natural gas; information on technical developments as well as codes and standards developments; and features Canadian natural gas fleet successes to date.
Read more on the Website of Natural Resources Canada
Meeting Net-Zero GHG not possible without bioenergy
A new report from the UK Renewable Energy Association (REA) has found that the sustainable use of bioenergy is core to the UK meeting its legally binding 5th Carbon Budget. The report Bioenergy in the UK – Vision to 2032 and Beyond has found that sustainable bioenergy can meet two thirds of the projected shortfall of the 5th Carbon Budget, bioenergy can provide an additional 60 TWh of heat and 57 TWh of power – more than required to close the impending nuclear gap – and that bioenergy is a no-regrets solution to carbon reduction offering immediate greenhouse gas (GHG) savings across power, heat and transport whilst supporting evolving supply chains and technologies.