Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has announced the successful launch of its new renewable natural gas (RNG) production facility at Tri-Cross Dairy in Viborg, South Dakota. Situated on a 5,000-cow dairy farm, the facility is expected to yield 1 million gallons of negative carbon-intensity RNG annually. This project marks a significant achievement in Clean Energy’s commitment to providing environmentally friendly fuel for the transportation sector across North America.
With construction costs totaling $34 million, covering the development of digesters and processing plants, the RNG production facility was completed in December 2023. The injection of pipeline-quality RNG commenced shortly thereafter. Clean Energy is currently in the process of filing applications to secure federal and state environmental credits.
As the demand for RNG fuel in the transportation market is expected to rise in 2024, particularly with the introduction of Cummins’ X15N natural gas engine for heavy-duty trucks, Clean Energy aims to expand its fueling infrastructure to meet this demand. The new production facilities at Tri-Cross Dairy and other Midwest farms producing RNG play a crucial role in fulfilling this strategy, according to Clay Corbus, Senior Vice President for Renewables.
The financing for the Tri-Cross Dairy project is supported by one of Clean Energy’s RNG production joint ventures and developed by Dynamic Renewables. This facility is part of a collaborative series of projects in the Midwest between the two companies.
Given that agriculture contributes nearly 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the RNG produced by capturing methane from farm waste can significantly lower these emissions. RNG, a transportation fuel derived from organic waste, achieves an average reduction of GHG emissions by 300% compared to diesel. Notably, RNG from dairy farms receives an impressive average carbon-intensity score of -330 from the California Air Resources Board, surpassing the environmental benefits of electric vehicles charging with today’s grid electricity.
About Clean Energy
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. is the country’s largest provider of the cleanest fuel for the transportation market. Our mission is to decarbonize transportation through the development and delivery of renewable natural gas (RNG), a sustainable fuel derived by capturing methane from organic waste. Clean Energy allows thousands of vehicles, from airport shuttles to city buses to waste and heavy-duty trucks, to reduce their amount of climate-harming greenhouse gas. We operate a vast network of fueling stations across the U.S. and Canada as well as RNG production facilities at dairy farms. Visit www.cleanenergyfuels.com and follow @ce_renewables on X and LinkedIn.