Sourcing Renewables  -  September 25, 2020

California dairy farm project begins RNG production

A joint venture between local California dairy farms, Chevron and California Bioenergy announced Sept. 24 that it achieved first renewable natural gas (RNG) production from dairy farms in Kern County. 

The partnership has been providing funding for digester projects across areas of Kern, Tulare and Kings counties to mitigate the dairies’ methane emissions and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. Technology supplied by CalBio has been used to capture methane and convert it into usable RNG.

“This is an exciting milestone that speaks to the capabilities and can-do attitude of our partners – CalBio and dairy farmers – to bring this RNG to the California vehicle fuels market,” Andy Walz, president of Chevron Americas Products, said in a statement. “Chevron is increasing RNG in support of our business and is making targeted investments and establishing partnerships, as we evaluate many emerging sources of energy and the role they will play in our portfolio. And as a proud California company, we are pleased that local communities in the state will benefit from this investment.”

The projects are set up so that dairy biogas is sent to a centralized processing facility to be upgraded to RNG and injected into local utility SoCalGas’ pipeline, usually to be used as an alternative fuel for heavy-duty trucks and buses.

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