Lost Hills will soon have a full-service station with Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) which is a clean source of energy that is produced from organic waste.
“Renewable natural gas is produced when biomethane from decomposing organic matter – such as cow manure or landfill waste – is captured. Once treated it becomes compressed natural gas and is placed into the natural gas network,” said Walt Collier, Renewable Fuels/CNG Business Development Specialist at Chevron.
The type of waste used to produce RNG includes landfills, wastewater, food waste, agriculture, and dairy manure. Waste first colludes into a digester tank where the material is decomposed which will create gasses such as methane. After the methane is cleaned, it becomes RNG where it can be used to power homes, businesses, factories, and as a transportation fuel.
Collier explains that the storage for compressed natural gas (CNG) is natural gas mainly comprised of methane stored under high pressures while remaining in its gaseous form. This will help transport it or use it as storage for later use as vehicle fuel.
Collier shared some of the benefits when it comes to growing lower carbon fuels which are:
- Capturing RNG from dairy farms and landfills to power a vehicle represents about 400% and 0% decrease in lifecycle carbon intensity vs conventional diesel under California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
- Producing renewable natural gas helps reduce agricultural methane that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere
- In the United States, increased investments in methane capture can potentially mitigate emissions of 258 million tons per year of animal manure
- Renewable natural gas production has the potential to reduce manure runoff into rivers and water supplies
- Both the U.S. government and California recognize the lower carbon benefits of renewable natural gas, deeming it an advanced biofuel for transportation purposes.
- The use of renewable natural gas can provide benefits in terms of fuel security, economic revenues or savings, local air quality, and greenhouse gas emission reductions
“Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is an affordable and reliable waste-derived fuel that can be used to power homes, businesses and vehicles. RNG projects capture methane from existing food waste, animal manure, wastewater sludge, and garbage, and redirect it away from the environment, repurposing it as a lower carbon energy source,” said Collier.
Supply, infrastructure, and engines/vehicles are available now. To learn more about what type of vehicles can be used for RNG visit: https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/natural_gas.html
