US Government supports greener vehicles

By | 2019-03-08

Here’s an overview of key biogas news.    

GOVERNMENT POLICIES & LAW

US DOE announces US$50 million for commercial truck, off-road vehicle, and gaseous fuels research

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced up to US$51.5 million for new and innovative research of technologies for trucks, off-road vehicles, and the fuels that power them. Funded through the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) addresses priorities in gaseous fuels research for heavy-duty applications and energy efficient off-road vehicles. According to a statement on March 1, 2019, the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) priorities in gaseous fuels research, including natural gas, biopower, and hydrogen; heavy-duty freight electrification; hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell technologies for heavy-duty applications; and energy efficient off-road vehicles.

Read more on Bioenergy International

Federal agencies release framework for advancing the bioeconomy

The federal Biomass Research and Development (BR&D) Board unveiled a multi-agency strategy March 5 to accelerate innovative technologies that harness the nation’s biomass resources for affordable biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. The Bioeconomy Initiative: Implementation Framework was developed by the B&RD Board—an interagency collaborative which is co-chaired by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy—to guide such efforts. “The emerging bioeconomy presents an opportunity to expand and enable new agriculture and forest markets while also improving the sustainability of the broader modern economy and environment,” said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics Scott Hutchins.

Read more on Biomass Magazine

Agility Receives CARB Approval for Near-Zero Emissions Fuel System with Heavy-Duty On-Board Diagnostics (HD-OBD)

Agility Fuel Solutions, a leading global provider of clean fuel solutions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, announced today that it has received California Air Resources Board (CARB) certifications for a natural gas fuel system for installation on Ford 6.8L V-10 gasoline engines with gaseous engine prep package. The Ford 6.8L engine with Agility’s natural gas fuel system is certified to meet the CARB Optional Low NOx Emissions Standards with NOx emissions at or below 0.02 grams per brake horsepower-hour (g/bhp-hr).

Read more on Einpress Wire

Washington State Tackles Transportation Emissions

The climate crisis demands an immediate response on multiple fronts, and while in Washington DC the Trump administration is attempting to reverse the progress of the last administration, in Washington state legislators are tackling the challenge head on. The largest source of pollution in Washington state is transportation, which is another way to say burning petroleum-based fuels like gasoline and diesel. Tackling emissions from transportation requires policies that focus on vehicles and transportation fuels.

Read more on UCUSA

COMPANIES & ORGANIZATIONS

Connecticut’s first anaerobic digester adding depackaging facility

Quantum Biopower, which has seen more packaged material than expected from throughout the Northeast, recently got initial approval for a new expansion. Quantum Biopower, Connecticut’s first and only anaerobic digester, is looking to expand its capacity and capabilities in response to growing regional demand. The Southington facility, which currently handles an average of 110-120 tons per day, will soon be ramping up to 140 tons. A large part of this volume consists of packaged food and beverage material.

Read more on Waste Dive

SoCalGas Announces Vision to Be Cleanest Natural Gas Utility in North America

Utility commits to delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to customers – Includes replacing 20 percent of traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas by 2030 Senate Bill 1383 requires 40 percent methane capture from California’s waste streams — from sewage treatment, and landfills, and agriculture, and dairies. (SoCalGas) today announced a bold plan to replace 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030.

Read more on Sempra

Weltec begins construction of UK biomethane plant

Weltec Biopower, a biogas plant manufacture based in Germany, recently announced it has started building a biomethane plant in Pontefract, U.K. for Lanes Farm Energy, a gas-to-grid project developed by Aqua Consultants. The plant is expected to begin operations later this year and will deliver 7.3 million cubic meters of biomethane to the U.K. gas distribution network, enough to supply approximately 9,600 households. According to Weltec, food leftovers will account for more than half of the 80,000 tons per year of substrate processed at the facility.

Read more on Biomass Magazine

Peel plans in for £150m renewable energy plant

Peel Environmental has signed a deal with Progressive Energy to deliver a £150m bio-substitute natural gas plant at the 134-acre Protos energy park near Ellesmere Port. The plant will generate renewable gas from up to 175,000 tonnes of bio-resources, including unrecyclable wood and refuse derived fuel. This gas will be used in the transport sector, generating enough gas to power up to 1,000 low carbon HGVs and buses every year. A planning application has been submitted by Peel and Progressive Energy.

Read more on Place North West

RESEARCHES & STUDIES

Natural Gas Fuel in Sweden is 91% Renewable

The proportion of biogas in the vehicle gas continues to increase. New statistics from Statistics Sweden show that the renewable proportion is just over 91 per cent. Total sales of natural gas as a fuel for vehicles also rose during 2018. Statistics for 2018 presented by Statistics Sweden on February 19 show that the proportion of biogas (biomethane / renewable natural gas or RNG) in vehicle gas is up to 91.3 percent. For 2018, the previous downward trend for vehicle gas sales, which is increasing by 1.6 gigawatt hours, is also being broken.

Read more on NGV Global

Biogas generates value for the agriculture industry

As the U.S. continues its transition toward sustainability, the future of green energy remains bright. One of the most promising solutions comes in the form of biogas, having shown immense potential for the agriculture industry. Through the process of anaerobic decomposition, bacteria consumes and breaks down “biomass” to create biogas. This biomass includes animal waste, plant materials, and other organic matter, producing gases that agriculture professionals can collect and use as fuel.

Read more on Born2Invest