Below carbon zero: Aemetis starts up RNG production at carbon-neg project

In California, Aemetis has commenced producing dairy biogas from the first two dairies in a 17 dairy digester biogas project.  The below-zero carbon intensity gas is initially being utilized for the production of fuel ethanol at the Aemetis Advanced Fuels Keyes facility in Keyes, California.  Aemetis also produces high-grade sanitizer alcohol and various feed products at its Keyes facility.

What’s happening now, and next steps: In December 2020, the Company plans to begin construction of a gas upgrading system that will convert dairy biogas to renewable natural gas for injection into the PG&E pipeline or utilization as Renewable CNG at the company’s onsite renewable compressed natural gas (R-CNG) fueling station.  During 2021, the company plans to continue development of the next fifteen dairy digesters and related pipeline in the 17 dairy digester RNG cluster located near the Aemetis Keyes plant. The project funding plan has no debt and more than $65 million of preferred equity investment and grants.

The backstory: Aemetis is an advanced renewable fuel and biochemicals company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of innovative technologies that replace traditional petroleum-based products by the conversion of ethanol and biodiesel plants into advanced biorefineries.  Aemetis is building a biogas anaerobic digester network and pipeline to convert dairy animal waste gas to Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) and is developing a plant to convert waste orchard wood into cellulosic ethanol.

Why Big? ADM needed to get into the plant-based foods revolution, they took their time, but are going big with this partnership.