Chevron’s RNG joint venture with Brightmark Fund Holdings has delivered first gas at 10 renewable natural gas facilities across the Midwest, marking a milestone, the companies said.

The projects in Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin are producing RNG using biogas from dairy livestock. The companies did not say how much RNG the 10 projects are producing or their capacities.

Championed for its lower emissions compared to traditional fuels, RNG is used in the same ways as conventional gas—once moisture and impurities have been stripped to bring it up to pipeline quality. Brightmark works with farmers to produce RNG via anaerobic digestion, which involves collecting manure and other organic waste, putting it into a methane gas-extracting digester and then upgrading the methane-rich biogas into RNG.

“We’re extremely excited to see these projects come online and begin reducing methane emissions while driving economic development in local communities,” said Bob Powell, founder and CEO of Brightmark. “This milestone demonstrates the scalability of these solutions and determination from farmers to reduce methane emissions in one of the nation’s largest agricultural regions.”

Brightmark RNG Holdings, the JV between Chevron and Brightmark, now owns and operates 15 projects in the Midwest, Chevron said in a news release. The two companies formed the JV in 2020 focusing on dairy biomethane.

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“Delivering first gas at 10 farms is a significant milestone,” said Nuray Elci, vice president of renewables at Chevron. “Transitioning to a lower carbon intensity energy economy demands, among other things, ambitious goals, innovation, and practical solutions. This success highlights renewable natural gas’ potential and fosters new opportunities for transport, industry, and consumers.”

Chevron said it estimates the project sites could result in a reduction of more than 318,000 tons of CO2 equivalent annually.

The circularity centers are Mondovi in Wisconsin; Paullina, Centerville, Kirkman and Sanborn in Iowa; Montpelier in Ohio; Milbank and Hurley in South Dakota; and Coopersville in Michigan, which is supplied by two locations, the company said.

To date, Brightmark’s RNG circularity centers have reduced emissions by more than 1.2 million tons of CO₂ equivalent, according to the release. That is equivalent to the amount of carbon sequestered by planting and growing nearly 20 million trees for 10 years, Chevron said.

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