How can renewable natural gas (RNG) help generate new revenue, lower emissions and manage waste? Here, Steve Rakidzioski from Enbridge Gas tackles the most common questions about this exciting clean energy technology.
Q: What is renewable natural gas (RNG)?
A: RNG is a clean energy supply, which reduces emissions. RNG is created by capturing biogas already being generated by decomposing waste in landfills and other organic sources that would otherwise be burned off or released into the air. The captured biogas is cleaned and injected into the existing natural gas pipeline system to offset traditional natural gas.
Q: What makes RNG such an important fuel in the race to net zero 2050?
A: RNG presents a tremendous opportunity to reduce emissions, leveraging existing energy infrastructure and stimulating regional economic development affordably and practically. Municipalities that operate fleets of garbage trucks, buses and more can have a zero-carbon footprint with RNG fuel.
Q: What is carbon negative?
A: RNG can also be carbon negative, which means it goes beyond carbon neutral. RNG fuel for diesel-fuelled vehicles goes beyond net zero. When organic waste is diverted from a landfill, it prevents methane from being released into the atmosphere. In addition, when RNG is used to replace diesel, CO2 emissions are reduced even further.
Q: In which sectors can RNG have the biggest impact?
A: The most carbon is diverted when RNG is used to displace diesel fuel in transportation. Diesel trucks can be replaced one-for-one with RNG without compromising performance and have a similar fuel price. Building heat is the second-largest source of Ontario’s emissions, which is beginning to be transitioned to RNG.
In sectors where electrification isn’t possible yet, like heavy industry, RNG is a market-ready solution and our best option for reducing carbon intensity.
Q: Where is RNG being produced today?
A: RNG is currently in production at different facilities across Canada and it’s forecasted to grow up to 50 percent in the next five years.*
At Stanton Farms, a 3,000-dairy cattle operation in Ilderton, Ontario, manure and animal bedding are mixed with community-based organic waste from local foodservice and food processing facilities to produce RNG.
Farms are great candidates for this technology, as are many other types of sites. Stanton Farms’ RNG facility will inject more than 3 million cubic metres of RNG into Ontario’s natural gas network annually. This is enough RNG to heat more than 1,300 homes, divert 60,000 tonnes of community-based organic waste from landfill and eliminate 11,000 tonnes of GHG emissions—equivalent to taking more than 2,200 vehicles off the road a year.
This made-in-Ontario solution supports local economies and local job growth. It’s a homegrown success story that can readily be replicated elsewhere on farms and other businesses.
Municipalities are also well-positioned to produce RNG and use it as a sustainable energy source since they have oversight on landfills, wastewater and transit. Because RNG turns organic waste into renewable energy for multiple applications, it supports municipal circular economy approaches.
Q: How does producing RNG generate revenue?
A: When you produce RNG, you have the option to use the energy to power your facility and sell it for commercial gain to utilities and energy marketers. We then distribute the RNG using our existing natural gas infrastructure.
Q: What’s the best way to learn more about becoming an RNG producer?
A: Reach out to an Enbridge Gas RNG Specialist at rng@enbridge.com to discuss your RNG project potential. Our dedicated team of energy experts is ready to provide you with the technical expertise and information to produce and use RNG. From start to finish, we’ll help you to uncover opportunities, plan and develop your project, access financial and capital support, and more.
You can also use our online calculator at enbridgegas.com/producerng for a high-level cost-benefit analysis to help determine whether the business case adds up.
