Anaerobic digestion and renewable natural gas in the forefront of news

By | 2018-05-04

Here’s an overview of key news in the biogas and renewable natural gas (RNG) industries. Governments around the world are working to stimulate the development of anaerobic digestion facilities and to encourage the use and distribution of this greener energy, especially in the transport industry. Cities are also developing RNG facilities to use this energy as a fuel for vehicles. Companies and associations specializing in energy and anaerobic digestion are particularly dynamic through marked growth, research, funding and development of new products or technologies.

 

POLICIES & GOVERNMENTS ACTIONS

  • California bill on pipeline integration of RNG clears comittee

A proposed bill sponsored by the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) that seeks to accelerate the production and integration of green gas into California’s natural gas supply passed out of the State Assembly’s Utilities and Energy Committee today. AB 3187, introduced by Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord), would help to decrease the cost of interconnecting in-state production facilities that should be developed to capture and convert methane from California’s diverted organic materials, livestock and agricultural waste, landfills and wastewater treatment facilities into renewable natural gas (RNG, biomethane).

Read more on Biomass Magazine

 

  • UK’s APC Makes £30M Funding Available to Reduce Transport Carbon Emissions

The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK Ltd (APC) has opened its 10th funding competition, APC 10, making up to £30M (USD 41M) available for the development of low carbon automotive technology in the UK. Included in the scope of technologies are ‘alternative propulsion systems’, ‘lightweight vehicle and powertrain structures’, and ‘energy storage and energy management’. Projects must be primarily applicable to the automotive industry.

Read more on NGV Global News

 

  • NGV Measures Advance in Pennsylvania, Eastern Canada

Pennsylvania and Ontario, Canada, have gotten a boost to advance natural gas vehicle (NGV) fleets and fueling stations. The Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants (AFIG) program of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection approved more than $1.6 million to support 19 projects using natural gas and other alternative fuels, such as propane and biodiesel.

Read more on Natural Gas Intel

 

  • Michigan lawmakers propose to boost consumer-generated renewables

A bipartisan group of Michigan lawmakers has introduced a package of five bills aimed at expanding access to renewable energy resources and raising the amount that owners of distributed generation are paid for their excess energy production. Republican Rep. Tom Barrett will introduce a measure to eliminate the cap on the number of customers that can participate in a utility’s distributed generation program. Another measure would update interconnection standards to allow microgrids to island during grid outages.

Read more on Utility Dive

 

 COMPANIES & ORGANIZATIONS

  • ANGI Brings New Integrated CNG Station System to Market

ANGI Energy Systems, LLC has introduced an all new Integrated Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station system for applications in small and medium sized CNG fleets. The ANGI NG100E FleetPro is a fully packaged, quick-deployment CNG system that allows for simplified installation and operation.

Read more on NGV Global News

 

  • Catalina Pacific®, A CalPortland® Company, Stakes Out Environmental Leadership Position By Converting Its California Ready-Mix Truck Fleet To Clean Energy’s Redeem™

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq: CLNE) announced today that it will begin supplying its Redeem™ renewable natural gas (RNG) to 118 Catalina Pacific®, a CalPortland® Company, ready-mix concrete trucks which operate throughout Southern California. By converting these trucks to Redeem, Catalina Pacific® will operate the cleanest ready-mix concrete fleet in the United States, reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by over 70 percent and smog-causing NOx emissions by over 90 percent (compared to a 2010 diesel engine).

Read more on Clean Energy Fuels

 

  • Demand for biomethane triples at UK CNG refuelling station

CNG Fuels is reporting that demand for ‘100% renewable biomethane’ from its refuelling station in Leyland, UK has more than tripled in the last year. The facility was first unveiled in March 2016, with CNG Fuels stating at the time it was the facility of its kind in the UK. Capable of refuelling more than 500 heavy-duty vehicles per days, the facility also supplies 100% renewable biomethane (bio-CNG) made from waste at anaerobic digestion plants and delivered to the station through the national grid pipeline system.

Read more on Bioenergy Insight

 

  • EIB lauches financing initiative for bioeconomy, agriculture

The European Investment Bank, the EU bank, announced the launch of a new financing initiative April 16 that aims to unlock close to EUR 1 billion of investment in the agriculture and bioeconomy sector. Bioeconomy encompasses the value chains of production and the processing of food, material and energy using renewable biological resources from land and sea. This large EIB lending program for agriculture and bioeconomy outlines the bank’s broader support to this sector.

Read more on Biomass Magazine

NEW REPORTS & RESEARCHES

  • Biomethane potential revealed in new report

Biomethane’s potential to replace natural gas has been analysed in a new report from IEA Bioenergy. As well as looking at the available substrates and technologies for green gas production, the report analyses the logistic demands of injecting green gas into existing gas grid infrastructure. According to the IEA Bioenergy Task 37 study, there are ‘good opportunities for cross-border trade and to create a market for biomethane, thus lowering dependency on fossil fuels.’

Read more on Bioenergy Insight