California RNG developer advances fueling, supply

Clean Energy Fuels, the largest US provider of low-carbon fuels for the transportation sector, said August 29 it has advanced its penetration into several transportation markets in North America and is pushing ahead with arrangements to increase renewable natural gas (RNG) supply by more than 10mn gallons/year.

“As fleet operators of large vehicles look at the entire alternative fuel landscape, RNG continues to rise to the top as they consider carbon reduction, ease in fueling, reliability and cost,” said Chad Lindholm, Clean Energy's senior vice president for sales. “We continue to add new customers across all transportation sectors as they realize the benefits of RNG fueling.”

New or expanded RNG fueling contracts have been inked with trucking companies, fleet operators and transit services in California, Texas, Virginia, Arizona, Kentucky, New Jersey, Florida and Canada.

At the same time, Clean Energy has attracted joint venture investments from French major TotalEnergies and the UK’s BP that will provide investment capital to expand RNG production at dairy farms across the US.

In Texas, a new digester at a dairy farm near Friona is expected to be commissioned in Q4 2022, providing an estimated 1mn gallons/year of RNG from the manure produced by 7,500 cows.

Another project in Hart County, Texas is in the midst of engineering and development work. When operational, it will produce an estimated 2.9mn gallons/year of RNG.

In South Dakota and Iowa, construction is nearing completion at two dairy farms that will together generate more than 7mn gallons/year of RNG from 30,000 cows.

And additional projects are underway in Minnesota, South Dakota and Idaho, Clean Energy said.

“We continue to make great progress on our RNG supply goals that we stated at the beginning of the year,” said Clay Corbus, senior vice president and head of renewable fuels. “Dairy owners are looking for a partner that can give them a known market as they develop their RNG supply, and no other company can do that like Clean Energy.”