Brightmark breaks ground on three RNG projects in Michigan

June 30, 2021. Brightmark broke ground on three renewable natural gas (RNG) projects in Michigan. The projects are owned by and will be operated through subsidiaries of Brightmark RNG Holdings LLC, a partnership with Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Brightmark currently owns and operates 27 RNG projects in 8 states and will operate 6 RNG projects in Michigan upon completion of these 3 projects, which is expected in the first half of 2022. Of this portfolio of RNG projects, 17 are owned by subsidiaries of the joint venture with Chevron.

In addition to collectively generating on a life cycle basis approximately 89,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas credits in accordance with the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard, the products generated in part from renewable feedstocks by the projects include biofertilizer, digested dairy fiber for use as cow bedding or as a peat moss substitute, and irrigation water.

“Michigan has been a great partner and we are excited to further expand our RNG footprint here and break ground on these lifecycle carbon negative projects,” said Bob Powell, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Brightmark. “Transitioning to a lower carbon energy economy creates significant opportunities for Michigan to put people to work in good-paying jobs in industries that are key to addressing climate change. We are proud to be a leader in supporting more sustainable farming practices, and these new RNG projects have the potential to deliver great financial and environmental benefits to the farmers and communities that we partner with.”

The Red Arrow RNG project in Hartford, Michigan will use anaerobic digestion to convert 200,000 gallons of manure per day from 5,750 dairy cows into about 128,000 MMBtu of RNG each year – which is enough fuel to enable a heavy-duty truck to circle Earth at the equator 131 times. The facility will generate approximately 34,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas credits each year. The RNG produced at Red Arrow Dairy will be injected into the ANR Pipeline.

The SunRyz RNG project in Morenci, Michigan will convert 133,000 gallons of manure per day from 3,250 dairy cows into about 76,000 MMBtu of RNG each year – enough fuel to enable a heavy-duty truck to circle the equator 77 times. The facility will generate approximately 27,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions credits. The RNG generated at SunRyz will be injected into the nearby Rover pipeline.

The Meadow Rock Renewable Natural Gas project in Greenville, Michigan will convert 75,000 gallons of manure per day from 3,020 dairy cows into nearly 67,000 MMBtu of RNG each year – which is enough fuel to enable a heavy-duty truck to circle the Earth’s equator 68 times. The facility will generate approximately 28,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions credits. The RNG produced at Meadow Rock will be injected into the ANR Pipeline.