Duke Energy partners to derive renewable gas from dairy farms
In a new partnership, Duke Energy and SustainRNG will harness renewable natural gas on dairy farms with a plan to provide a locally generated renewable energy source to end users nationwide through injection into the existing natural gas pipeline network.
“Natural gas and renewables play important roles in Duke Energy’s sustainability plans as we move toward our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050,” Phillip Grigsby, Duke Energy’s senior vice president of ventures and business development, told American Gas.
Duke Energy has invested in a minority share of the company and retains the option to invest in future operating projects.
“Our investment in SustainRNG provides an opportunity for us to bring forward renewable gas projects to reduce methane emissions and improve the environment,” Grigsby said. “These projects aid in reducing our carbon footprint, create jobs and benefit our customers by bringing more natural gas to market in an environmentally responsible way.”
SustainRNG will engineer, finance, construct and operate RNG sites in collaboration with dairy farmers, initially located in the southeastern U.S. Trane Technologies invented the advanced methane generation technology and has exclusively licensed its system to SustainRNG for use in the agricultural sector.
“By deploying this technology, we can advance our goal to lower greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the economics of agriculture, a win for the environment and farmers,” Grigsby said. “It relieves farmers of the burden and expense of manure disposal, and it removes a source of methane, converting it to a renewable and usable fuel source. This unique technology is an innovative step forward in providing RNG solutions to end users.”
In addition to owning a stake in SustainRNG, the utility is able to invest in individual RNG projects, Grigsby said.
“Projects that will increase natural gas supply for distribution to our Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas customers are ones that we’ll look at very closely, but we’re also enthusiastic about the overall growth potential of this partnership with SustainRNG,” he said. “Future applications may include expanding this technology to swine and poultry farms.”
In January, Duke Energy announced a partnership with Smithfield Foods Inc. and OptimaBio LLC to produce RNG from the wastewater treatment system at Smithfield’s Tar Heel, North Carolina, pork processing facility. The collaboration will help power more than 2,000 homes and businesses and reduce the carbon footprint of the utility and its customers.