“We are very proud to announce that we are providing our long-standing expertise to support our US partners in their biogas projects,” says Lars von Lehmden, Managing Director of EnviTec Anlagenbau GmbH & Co. KG, based in Lohne and Saerbeck, Germany. The biogas all-rounder is currently constructing four biogas projects in the United States, with six other biogas projects also now already at the planning stage for 2022.
One customer is SJI Renewable Energy Ventures LLC (SJI) along with development partner REV LNG LLC (REV). REV is serving as project developer for the combined biogas and EnviThan gas upgrading plants on behalf of their client SJI. As a leading project development company in the field of renewable energy sources and mobile energy services, REV specialises in the development, production, supply, transportation and sale of liquefied natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG) and renewable natural gas (RNG). SJI (NYSE: SJI), an energy infrastructure holding company based in Folsom, NJ, delivers energy services to customers through two primary subsidiaries: SJI Utilities (SJIU) and SJI Energy Enterprises (SJIEE). SJIU houses the company’s regulated natural gas utility operations, delivering safe, reliable and affordable natural gas to more than 700,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers across New Jersey via its South Jersey Gas and Elizabethtown Gas subsidiaries.
Recently, SJI Renewable Energy Ventures President, Donna Schempp and REV LNG’s CEO, David Kailbourne visited EnviTec Biogas at its premises in Germany: “We are very happy to be partnering with EnviTec Biogas, who is a global player in the field of biogas plant engineering and the corresponding biogas upgrading technology. The quality of their work and their high technical and safety standards have been setting the standards to follow in their industry”, stated Ms. Schempp. Accompanied by their respective teams, Ms. Schempp and Mr Kailbourne got a first-hand account of progress in the four projects currently underway and toured the EnviThan production workshop at EnviTec’s Construction Headquarters in Saerbeck. Other items on the itinerary were a visit to the Saerbeck biomass energy plant and the biogas plant operated by EnviTec in Köckte, Saxony-Anhalt. Mr Kailbourne stated that he was thoroughly impressed with the quality and expertise of the entire EnviTec Biogas AG team. He contunied: “As a leader in renewable energy project development, REV LNG is committed to implementing creative energy solutions that help our company and the clients we serve to reduce our carbon footprints. Having a world class original equipment manufacturer is vital to the end goal and we made a major step forward with EnviTec this week.”
“The fact that we have already built and brought into service four plants in the USA is clearly very beneficial to our further efforts to once again tackle the US biogas and gas upgrading market,” comments von Lehmden, who also oversees stateside plant construction in his role as CEO of EnviTec Biogas USA Inc. Back in 2014, EnviTec received the Biogas Industry Award from the American Biogas Council (ABC) for the sustainability features exhibited by its biogas plant Lawnhurst Energy, LLC in the US state of New York.
“However, unlike our market-entry projects, the four plants that are currently under construction will not be producing heat and electricity,” von Lehmden explains. Following their completion at the end of 2022, the plants in the states of New York and Connecticut, which are run using 100% dairy cattle slurry, will make their RNG (renewable natural gas) available via existing natural gas grids.
One driver for the construction of the new plants is the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) promulgated by the California state government. In adopting the LCFS, California is legislating to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels in the transport sector compared with conventional petroleum fuels gasoline and diesel. A funding package for energy generated from organic waste is also being provided by the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). As the RFS creates a market for biogas upgraded to vehicle fuel, this is a key instrument for powering the growth of the biogas and biogas upgrading industry.
About SJI www.sjindustries.com
About REV LNG, LLC (“REV”) www.revlng.com
About EnviTec Biogas AG
EnviTec Biogas AG covers the entire value chain for the production of biogas, including the planning and turnkey construction of biogas plants and biogas upgrading plants as well as their commissioning. The company takes charge of biological and technical services on demand, and also offers operational management services. EnviTec operates 75 of its own plants, making it one of the largest biogas producers in Germany. EnviTec’s business interests also include the direct marketing of upgraded biomethane as well as the marketing of electricity and balancing energy. The company is represented in 16 countries worldwide by its own companies, sales offices, strategic partners and joint ventures. In 2020, the EnviTec Group generated revenue of EUR 192.3 million and EBIT of EUR 17.2 million. The Group employs over 500 people worldwide. EnviTec Biogas AG has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since July 2007.