Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) filed an application with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to support the development the San Joaquin Renewables LLC (SJR) gas project in McFarland, California, under development by Frontline Bioenergy LLC, which counts NR Instant Produce PCL (NRF) as a strategic investor.
SJR will use world-beating technology pioneered by Frontline to thermally convert nut shells and orchard wood into bio-methane. Frontline's patented process, uniquely, produces pipeline-grade bio-methane free from particulates and tar. The gas is ready to inject into public gas networks or natural-gas powered vehicles.
SJR will be the largest biomass thermal gasification project in the world when operations, subject to approval, begin late 2026. The project will produce up to 4.5 billion cubic feet of renewable gas (RNG) per year, equivalent to removing 52,000 fossil-fuel vehicles from the streets, from 400,000 to 500,000 tons of agricultural residues. The project will also help reduce air pollution and improve public health by using farm residues, some of which are otherwise burnt in the open, in a clean production process.
SoCalGas will contribute about $13 million to the project from cap-and-trade funds.
"We are delighted to see Frontline's technology platform endorsed by one of the world's leading gas utilities. Frontline's scalable, modular technology will play a huge role in the global transition from unsustainable fossil natural gas to sustainable carbon neutral or negative biogases we need for our health, security, and prosperity," said Dan Pathomvanich, Chief Executive Officer, NRF. "We look forward to working with Frontline on projects with partners in the United States, Thailand and worldwide over the coming years."
"As the State of California has recognized, renewable natural gas remains a critical tool, along with other decarbonization pathways such as electrification, hydrogen and carbon management, in our efforts to decarbonize our great state," said Neil Navin, Chief Clean Fuels Officer at SoCalGas. "Instead of burning this agricultural waste, this project could produce more RNG annually than the entire state of Hawaii uses each year, putting this waste to good use to help shore up energy reliability and resiliency as we transition to a clean energy economy."
"Converting biomass into renewable natural gas provides a sustainable and renewable source of energy from waste material," said T.J. Paskach, President of San Joaquin Renewables. "Additionally, the San Joaquin Renewables facility will help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, will help clean the air of the Central Valley by producing a carbon negative fuel, and will provide hundreds of high-quality jobs in McFarland."
In February 2022, the CPUC adopted the Renewable Gas Procurement Standard, which sets goals for the procurement of renewable gas made by capturing methane emitted by organic waste from wastewater treatment plants, dairies, landfills, agricultural waste, and forestry residues.
The standard also requires SoCalGas to replace approximately 12.2 percent of the traditional gas it delivers to core customers with RNG by 2030. The CPUC also required SoCalGas to submit an application proposing at least one gasification or pyrolysis pilot project focused on conversion of woody biomass to biomethane.
RNG is a key tool in decarbonizing the gas system as it can be carbon neutral or even negative, depending on its source. RNG, along with carbon management and clean fuels like hydrogen, is one in a suite of tools SoCalGas is utilizing to help reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
Source: NR Instant Produce Public Company Limited