The aim is for the two entities to collaborate on this project and several other project sites where organic waste can be converted into biogas. In addition to the environmental benefits, this project will also support the economy in the Delmarva region.
The resources generated from organic material at BDC’s anaerobic digestion facilities in Delaware, known as the Bioenergy Innovation Centre, will be processed by Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, and Eastern Shore Natural Gas and Marlin Gas Services will facilitate the transport and receipt of RNG for multiple suppliers through its interconnect facility and equipment.
Marlin Gas Services will transport the sustainable fuel to Eastern Shore Natural Gas, Chesapeake Utilities Corporation’s interstate pipeline, where it will be introduced to CPK’s own distribution system and ultimately distributed to its natural gas customers. This project provides the opportunity for Chesapeake Utilities to maintain the green attributes of the RNG by distributing the gas to its own natural gas distribution customers.
“Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, by working together with municipalities and the food-industry, understands that digesting organics is a solution that creates a sustainable, environmentally-friendly supply of renewable natural gas while also helping to solve major waste management problems” said Shawn Kreloff, CEO of Bioenergy DevCo. “Recent estimates have shown that turning agricultural waste and excess organics from the poultry industry into truly renewable natural gas could replace 7 billion gallons of diesel fuel and generate 70,000 new jobs. Companies that embrace utility-scale anaerobic digestion, like Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, are on the forefront of a revolution in waste and energy infrastructure innovation.”
Anaerobic digesters use naturally occurring microbes to break down food waste into biogas and an organic soil amendment used by farmers. This waste would otherwise be sent to a landfill where it would decompose and release greenhouse gasses, or it would be incinerated, contributing to air pollution. Anaerobic digestion sequesters and transforms this waste, reducing the burden on local infrastructure and providing a source for renewable energy.
Bioenergy DevCo is currently developing anaerobic digesters throughout the United States and has gained a strong foothold in the Mid-Atlantic region following a recently announced 20-year agreement with Perdue Farms, which had the foresight to more sustainably manage poultry litter and material from processing at its facilities on the Delmarva Peninsula. The Bioenergy Innovation Center’s anaerobic digestion facility will eventually contribute to the RNG used to power and heat homes in the region, ultimately delivered by Chesapeake Utilities.
Throughout the partnership, BDC and Chesapeake Utilities Corporation aim to jointly pursue a set of additional project sites to maximise the potential for RNG. BDC’s digester technology is designed to optimize the quantity and quality of RNG created, using a data-driven process that ensures reliable utility-grade gas production. This scientific approach is backed by BDC’s 22 years of experience managing complex anaerobic digesters around the globe.
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