Biogas to RNG
NPE helps landfills, wastewater treatment plants, agricultural and industrial organic waste producers convert their biogas into high-value electricity, co-heat and power or renewable natural gas (RNG). That RNG may then be used to fuel natural gas-powered vehicles rather than burning the source biogas in flares, boilers, or gensets for limited to no return.
Biogas is produced wherever anaerobic micro-organisms break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen. In an uncontrolled environment we know it as swamp gas. In a controlled environment such as a digester, we know it as biogas. Biogas contains roughly 50% methane with the remainder made up of contaminants like carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, oxygen, nitrogen, siloxanes and various other minor compounds.
Biogas is a proven source of energy used in the US and around the world. Many have recognized the untapped potential of this resource to provide clean renewable energy to power or fuel our society while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing environmental pollution through improved management of organic matter such as municipal solid waste, livestock manure, wastewater biosolids, and industrial food processing residuals. The Biogas Opportunities Roadmap (recently published in collaboration by USDA, US EPA, and US DOE) found more than 2,000 sites in the US that already produce and recover biogas, In addition, the Roadmap identified more than 11,000 additional biogas systems that could be deployed in the US. If fully realized, these biogas systems could produce enough energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54 million metric tons (CO2 equivalent)/yr by 2030, the annual emissions of 11 million passenger vehicles.