Final Thoughts rnG is the low carbon vehicle fuel Renewable Natural Gas is a little known fuel with lots of potential. By Stephanie Thorson enewable Natural Gas (RNG) is a little known fuel that has enormous potential to economically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transpor-tation, a sector with high emissions. In the same way that ethanol is blend-ed with gasoline and bio-diesel is blend-ed with diesel fuel, RNG can be blended with natural gas for compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles or liquified natural gas (LNG) vehicles. The Biogas Associ-ation is working to develop RNG as a vehicle fuel to cost-effectively improve the environmental performance of the transportation sector. In 2014, the prices of traditional ve-hicle fuels – gasoline and diesel – are at historic highs and the price of natural gas is at a historic low. As a result, fleet managers are increasingly exploring the option to switch to natural gas as a vehicle fuel. In fact, CNG vehicles can run on 100 per cent RNG, and there are millions of hours of driving experi-ence in Europe with this fuel. Europeans are increasingly using RNG as a transportation fuel. Regula-tions and taxes on waste disposal have been driving its success by increasing the need for renewable fuel sources. But other drivers include the European Commission’s Biofuels Directive’s mea-sures to improve local air quality and the need for clean transportation fuels in urban areas. In Canada, the Canadian Gas Asso-ciation has recently released its Smart Energy Future: RNG Roadmap, which includes a focus on developing RNG as a vehicle fuel. The association is work-r ing with stakeholders on determining a path forward to help bring this oppor-tunity to the marketplace. the beneFits oF Rng The environmental benefits of displac-ing diesel or gasoline with RNG are significant. While combustion of RNG produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, the carbon comes from plant mat-ter that fixed this carbon from atmo-spheric carbon dioxide. It has the added benefit of converting decaying matter that would normally release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into usable energy. Depending on the source, RNG can be carbon neutral. The air quality benefits are extensive as well, as particulate matter levels de-crease substantially when moving from diesel to CNG and RNG. A guide for farmers on how to devel-op RNG as a vehicle fuel was published in 2013 by the Biogas Association. The Farm to Fuel Developers’ Guide is available online for free download on the Biogas Association website, www. biogasassociation.ca, under Resources. The Biogas Association is building on that work and is now delivering a project called the ‘RNG as Vehicle Fuel Project.’ The project is designed to as-sist RNG project developers in Ontario and help create a market for RNG as a vehicle fuel. The project outlines the business case and sustainability case for switch-ing to CNG with an RNG blend. This includes a summary of the cost differ-ential. RNG is cheaper than gasoline and diesel, including the cost of the infrastructure to provide the fuel. And when CNG is blended with RNG, the economic case to convert vehicles to CNG is still strong. Given the environ-mental advantages, this is a major win for organizations that make the switch. leading the way Surrey, B.C., is a recognized leader in reducing emissions from waste gener-ated within the municipality and has created a closed-loop waste solution. In the coming months, Surrey will gen-erate RNG at their anaerobic digestion facility and use it to fuel waste trucks picking up the organic waste. Hamil-ton, Ontario, uses some of the RNG produced from its wastewater facility to fuel trucks. Waste trucks are also be-ing fueled by a landfill in Quebec. An innovative project led by Stone-crest Engineering is in development in southwestern Ontario, in which a beef farm, dairy farm, a gravel pit operator, pork feedlot and hauler, have come to-gether to generate and consume RNG for their vehicles and equipment. In the U.S., the massive Fair Oaks Dairy has an onsite fueling station that sup-plies renewable natural gas produced through farm operations to fuel a fleet of 42 milk trucks operated by Fair Oaks Farms and AMP Americas. It is hoped that demand and supply of RNG as a vehicle fuel will continue to grow in the near future. • Stephanie Thorson is with the Biogas Association at biogasassociation.ca. MAY/JUNE 2014 42 Canadian BIOMASS
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