By
34 min ago 2 min read
US renewable energy solutions specialist Vanguard Renewables has broken ground on a renewable natural gas (RNG) facility at Wagner Dairy farm in Litchfield, Minnesota, as it targets further Midwest expansion.
Once operational, the facility will process over 300 tonnes of food and beverage waste each day to produce around 270,000 MMBtu (79 GWh) of RNG annually.
Through the anaerobic digestion of waste biomass, RNG and a natural fertiliser will also be produced, helping to lower operating costs on the dairy farm.
The facility will be connected to US utility company CenterPoint Energy’s natural gas distribution system, providing enough energy to support around 5,300 homes in Minnesota.
Mike O’Laughlin, CEO of Vanguard Renewables, said the company hopes to support food and beverage companies with organics recycling while also meeting regional RNG demand.
The Wagner Dairy farm site will mark the company’s fourteenth RNG site. The project is a joint venture with French energy firm TotalEnergies.
In April 2024, TotalEnergies signed on as a 50/50 joint partner with Vanguard to advance ten US RNG projects, with potential to expand joint investment for up to 60 RNG facilities for a total annual production capacity of 5 TWh.
Vanguard Renewables analysis shows the Midwest region has the potential to produce up to 1,580 trillion Btu (463 GWh) of RNG.
RNG is known as biomethane in markets outside of the US.
