Renewable Natural Gas Opportunities

Farmers, scientists, and project developers gathered in Lancaster PA on June 8-9, 2022 for Penn State Extension's Renewable Natural Gas Opportunities Short Course, where the emerging potential for farm-based biogas systems was discussed.

For those who aren't yet familiar with the potential for our state, the opportunity consists of using manure and/or crop residues to produce biogas (mostly methane) on the farm in a large device called a "digester". This biogas is then purified to make it suitable for injecting into the natural gas pipeline to be used as "renewable natural gas" or RNG. The renewable and low carbon status of RNG makes it especially valuable in today's marketplace, where many states are mandating that their fuels have increasing renewability and climate-friendly attributes.

Experts at the short course discussed the fundamentals of biogas production, including the science of the digestion process that centers around the lives of microscopic bacteria that break down digestible material to produce biogas. Don Olmstead of Venture Engineering outlined the systems that are used to turn this concept into a physical reality, and showed examples of these systems in use today. While avian flu restrictions prevented the group from touring a farm digester in person, Jeff Brubaker of Brubaker Farms in Mount Joy gave an outstanding "video tour" and explained how his farm currently uses biogas that is produced from animal manure and food waste. 

Ecosystem benefits were also a topic of significant interest at the short course. Penn State's Heather Karsten, professor of Crop Science, noted the key role of controlling methane emissions if the short term climate impact of the biogas system is to be positive. Siobhan Fathel of Penn State Extension outlined the way that these ecosystem benefits can be translated into cash income for farmers, through various "credit markets". While California's low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) garnered significant attention, other credit markets are likely to become increasingly important as the RNG sector develops.

Business innovation was a strong theme during the course, and several exciting possibilities were discussed over the course of the event. Dan Tyndall and Hasan Loutfi shared the plans of Roeslein Alternative Energy LLC to produce RNG from swine manure and prairie gas at their "Horizon 2" venture in Iowa, as well as the potential for biorefining to become the future approach for RNG systems. Jeff Bonar of CapCO2 discussed opportunities to utilize waste CO₂ from the RNG process and turn it into a valuable commodity. Luca Sirugo outlined his vision for developing regional digesters in the region, following a model that has been successfully developed in Italy.

The short course was not at all short on optimism about RNG, but there was also a healthy dose of realistic concern about the challenges that lay ahead for this technology. While the potential is great for farms in Pennsylvania, the reality is that today's RNG technology is probably only practical and economical for extremely large operations - much larger than most Pennsylvania farms. The uncertainty of credit markets and the high cost of building these systems was also an issue that cropped up. It was evident that these challenges will not be addressed solely by the technology and systems of today.  The innovators that see the emerging trends and new technologies, and who then position themselves to take advantage of them are likely to be the ones who can make RNG a cost effective and ecologically beneficial component of the farm economy in the years to come.

The idea of "systems" was a recurring theme during the short course. This starts with the living systems - the farmer, neighbors, crops and animals, and of course the microbes that produce the biogas. It also includes the physical systems - the network of equipment and devices that work together to produce RNG. Economic systems are also critical, and the RNG operation must be compatible with them. These are all impacted in turn by the societal and political systems that function throughout the broader community. It's probably safe to say that no person can be an expert at all of these things.  Thus, there is a big need for teams of engaged people to work together if RNG is to realize its potential.