RNG Energy Solutions NJ biogas project progresses

RNG Energy Solutions, a New Hampshire, US-based developer of complex energy infrastructure projects, has completed the development phase of the Linden Renewable Energy Project (LRE).

The large organic waste anaerobic digester project in Linden, New Jersey has secured all the required City of Linden, Union County and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection permits necessary to start construction.

The LRE project will use proven anaerobic digesters to convert approximately 1,400 tons per day of organic waste into biomethane, which will be upgraded to pipeline-quality standards. The RNG will then be directed via interconnection to Elizabethtown Gas, a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries system located near the project.

The project includes the development and construction of multiple off-site food waste pre-processing and depackaging operations, to be located in New York City, New York state, and New Jersey.

“Virtually everything we receive would have gone to a landfill and, with this project, will now be converted to a high-value RNG and soil amendment,” said Ralph Daley, senior vice-president of RNG Energy Solutions. “This project provides the optimised sustainable solution for managing diverted organic waste.”

The LRE project will also use 3.2 MW of Bloom Energy solid oxide fuel cells to provide primary power to the facility and digester, bolster energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and optimise power generation costs. RNG Energy and Bloom completed a separate 6 MW project on Long Island in 2020.

The project has received approval from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for $214 million (€191 million) in Industrial Development Revenue Bonds. The transaction is expected to close this quarter. Starwood Energy Group, a private investment firm specialising in energy infrastructure, and RNG Energy Solutions will commit a total of $100 million (€89 million) in equity.

“LRE Is a ground-breaking project that will provide an environmentally sustainable path to solving a growing waste disposal problem in the US,” said Himanshu Saxena, CEO of Starwood Energy Group.

“Furthermore, the RNG produced by LRE will enable decarbonisation of the natural gas supply chain. Our investment in LRE reflects our commitment to the sustainable energy transition space and to ESG-friendly investments."