Enviva, GreenGasUSA announce 10-year RNG offtake agreement

Enviva Partners LP and GreenGasUSA, an integrated renewable natural gas (RNG) solutions provider, announced on Oct. 20 a 10-year RNG offtake agreement to decarbonize natural gas-related emissions in Enviva’s operations. The agreement is expected to eliminate more than 64,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent from the atmosphere every year, which equates to 14,000 passenger cars being removed from the road.

Enviva’s commitment underwrites a stand-alone GreenGasUSA project to install equipment that captures and treats methane currently being released directly into the atmosphere at a food processing facility in rural South Carolina. As part of the agreement, GreenGasUSA will transport the RNG directly to Enviva’s Hamlet plant to be utilized in its industry-leading emissions control equipment in place of fossil natural gas in the third quarter of 2022. The elimination of direct methane emissions at the food processing facility and conversion of these gases into RNG will be one of the first “food waste to RNG projects” conducted in the U.S. Southeast. In fact, the methane captured and emissions eliminated as a result of this offtake agreement are expected to offset approximately 75 percent of all Enviva’s direct emissions from its manufacturing operations, or Scope 1 emissions, on an annual basis for the duration of the 10-year agreement.

“We are proud to partner with GreenGasUSA to minimize the use of fossil fuels in our Scope 1 emissions and execute on highly effective carbon-neutral strategies,” said Thomas Meth, co-founder and executive vice president of sales and marketing at Enviva. “Selecting GreenGasUSA for this project was a natural choice as several of their agricultural partners are in close proximity to our existing operational infrastructure. The environmental benefits they provide to the communities they serve and their potential to grow and expand with us as a service provider underscores our excitement about this new collaboration.”

Studies have shown that methane released into the atmosphere is a highly potent greenhouse gas that is 85 times more impactful than CO2 over a 20-year life cycle. Capturing fugitive methane from wastewater facilities, landfills, agricultural activities, and other sources has been identified by the EPA as a key strategy to reduce greenhouse gases and slow global warming. In addition, RNG projects provide much needed investment and income in rural agricultural communities disconnected from infrastructure.

“Through GreenGasUSA’s innovative work with established local agribusiness industries, South Carolina is leading the way in carbon mitigation through methane capture. This new partnership reinforces a strong commitment to our environment and to rural South Carolina,” added South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers.

“GreenGasUSA is grateful to work with Enviva on projects like this. Methane capture from agricultural sources is one of the most impactful things we can do to combat climate change. We are thankful for the leadership of Commissioner Weathers and our farming community for embracing these efforts,” said Marc Fetten, founder and CEO of GreenGasUSA. “Eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and creating new income streams for farmers continues to be very gratifying work. Industry leadership, such as Enviva’s commitment to carbon neutrality, is an enabling driver for these types of projects. We sincerely appreciate Enviva’s selection of GreenGasUSA as a decarbonization partner.”

Earlier this year, Enviva announced a Net-Zero Commitment that will reduce, eliminate, or offset all of its direct emissions by 2030. As part of this ambitious plan to cut carbon emissions from fossil fuels and improve energy efficiency, Enviva agreed to adopt innovative and improved lower-emission processes through investments in projects that result in real, additional, and third-party verified net-carbon reductions.

To learn more about Enviva’s 2030 net-zero plans and goals, click here. To learn more about GreenGasUSA’s RNG partnerships, click here.