U.S. Gain Secures RNG Offtake Agreement with Holsum Dairies
Appleton, Wisconsin, June 1, 2020– U.S. Gain proudly announces the completion of a renewable natural gas (RNG) offtake agreement with Holsum Dairies located in Hilbert, Wisconsin. RNG produced will be taken to U.S. Gain’s fleet customers in California, displacing nearly 900,000 gallons of gasoline.
Holsum Dairies consist of two separate farms (Elm Dairy and Irish Dairy) with digesters that breakdown animal waste to create methane that later is converted to RNG. Raw digester gas from Irish Dairy is transported via pipeline to a central conditioning plant located at Elm Dairy, where it is stripped of impurities to produce RNG. The RNG is then injected directly into the natural gas pipeline through an interconnect installed by Holsum Dairies. In addition to RNG, the anaerobic digestion process also creates organic nutrients and bedding material for animals that can be used by the farm or sold.
“RNG provides a beneficial diversification strategy for our business,” said Holsum Dairies owner Dr. Bob Nagel. “Not only can we profit from continued utilization of our digester, but also the valuable byproducts as part of the process. We encourage other farms to explore the impact RNG production can have on their operations.”
Once RNG is produced and injected into the natural gas pipeline it can be consumed as an alternative fuel or renewable energy. In this case, U.S. Gain will take RNG from Holsum Dairy to fleets in California and Oregon that are seeking affordable, emission reduction strategies in support of policy and sustainability goals. U.S. Gain is also coordinating necessary compliance through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to enable credit generation for the RNG dispensed.
“We’re thankful for the opportunity to partner with Holsum Dairies on this project,” said U.S. Gain RNG Director of Business Development, Hardy Sawall. “Many farms have existing digesters and resources available to convert them to RNG production, but need help with compliance and credit generation, which is a strength U.S. Gain brings to the table. Furthermore, we’re proud to bring more low-carbon fuel to the West Coast market, improving air quality for communities that need it most.”
