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28 min ago 2 min read
Across the US market, carbon dioxide (CO2) capacity is disappearing, and new sources are yet to be established, putting pressure on the US CO2 supply chain.
In recent years, there has been an uptake in renewable natural gas (RNG) production in the US, creating a growing opportunity to produce biogenic CO2 alongside its role in decarbonising the energy and transport sectors.
Unlike conventional natural gas, RNG is derived from organic waste sources such as dairy farms, landfills, and wastewater treatment plants.
Speaking on a gasworld webinar, CO2 consultant Bruce Woerner named RNG as a promising emerging pathway for CO2 production in the US market, despite the slow adoption of the production method in comparison to the UK and Europe.
He said that US-based end users should recognise RNG’s potential role in strengthening the domestic CO2 supply chain.
“There is still a little bit of scepticism of can it make food and beverage-grade CO2…But all you have to do is look to Europe, and they’ve been so far ahead of [the US],” he added.
Analyst group Wood Mackenzie estimates that North American RNG production will remain below 50% of its total resource potential by 2050, despite a record 139 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) rise in 2024.
The US feedstock resource for RNG production is also increasing, with the biomass supply available to produce RNG up 17% between 2019 and 2025, according to the American Gas Association (AGA).
Capturing CO2 from RNG production creates an additional opportunity for industrial gas suppliers and users, allowing carbon separated during RNG production to be recovered and supplied to industrial users rather than vented.
In sectors such as the food and beverage industry, the biogenic CO2 needs to be purified and undergo quality control to meet the required standards.
For the US CO2 market, this could create a valuable new source of domestic CO2, particularly where production and consumption can be located close together.
Looking ahead, Woerner sees further CO2 opportunities in RNG production, particularly at poultry plants where there is manure readily available as RNG feedstock.
“You have a built-in opportunity with little to no distribution cost to provide that CO2 into the market…that’s what I think buyers can look forward to.”
