The Gas Company (TGC), Hawaii’s clean gas energy
provider, announced that it is producing renewable natural gas (RNG) for
Hawaii.
The Gas Company is transforming non-food-grade oils and
fats into clean, reliable gas and biofuels at its renewable natural gas pilot
plant in West Oahu.
The renewable natural gas plant is capable of processing
up to one million gallons of feedstock per year, and it is designed to allow
for expansion to accommodate increasing demand and feedstock supply
availability.
The facility was designed in association with Primoris
Renewables, an innovator in renewable energy technology, and is located on the
premises of TGC’s synthetic natural gas (SNG) manufacturing plant in Oahu’s
Campbell Industrial Park.
The Hawaii Renewable Energy Development Venture, which is
funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, awarded a $1 million grant to The Gas
Company to support the RNG plant demonstration. No tax credit or further
taxpayer support is required for the project.
“The production of renewable natural gas is a major
milestone that will allow us to provide sustainable energy from local
agricultural products that were previously discarded or shipped out of
state,” said TGC’s president
and CEO, Jeffrey Kissel.
The Gas Company is working with companies in Hawaii to
purchase locally produced, sustainable non-food-grade oils and fats for the
production of renewable natural gas.
Hawaii relies on imported petroleum for approximately 90
percent of its energy. Hawaii’s state government launched the Hawaii Clean
Energy Initiative in 2008, calling for 70 percent clean energy by 2030. The Gas
Company is working toward producing half of its gas from renewable and
sustainable sources.
The new facility transforms fats and oils in a process
that uses the heat from its existing gas production facilities, surplus
hydrogen and steam to produce renewable natural gas and biofuels. The renewable
natural gas and biofuels that the RNG pilot plant produces will be incorporated
into The Gas Company’s existing manufacturing and distribution operations.
Renewable natural gas will displace gas produced from
petroleum and will be distributed through The Gas Company’s 1,100-mile Oahu
pipeline network. The cost for renewable natural gas should be the same as or
less than gas produced from current sources, without relying on taxpayer
subsidy.
By Greentechlead.com Team
editor@greentechlead.com