Portland, Oregon-based NW Natural has started producing renewable natural gas (RNG) at a second Tyson Foods facility in Dakota City, Nebraska.
The RNG facility has been built in partnership with BioCarbN, an environmental infrastructure project developer and operator based in Boise, Idaho.
NW Natural has invested around $12 million in the project, which involves the conversion of methane captured from Tyson’s operations into RNG for heating homes and businesses.
The first project started at Tyson’s Lexington, Nebraska operations in January 2022. Together, the two facilities are expected to produce approximately 240,000 MMBtu of RNG annually, which is enough to provide heat for over 5,400 homes per year.
RNG is produced by breaking down organic materials such as agricultural and forestry by-products, food waste, wastewater, or landfill waste. It provides similar climate benefits as wind and solar energy while also having the reliability and seasonal storage capabilities of natural gas. Additionally, RNG captures, conditions and utilizes organic material that would otherwise contribute to carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
NW Natural aims to procure RNG equivalent to 5 percent of its Oregon sales volume in 2024 and 6 percent in 2025 as part of its voluntary targets. The projects are made possible through the RNG law, Oregon Senate Bill 98, which supports renewable energy procurement and investment by natural gas utilities.
“Each project like this contributes meaningful carbon reductions on behalf of our customers and moves us toward achieving our shared climate goals,” said David H. Anderson, President and CEO of NW Natural. “We’re aggressively pursuing additional opportunities, so we can increase our use of renewables over time.”
Tyson Foods is a food processing company headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas.
