TotalEnergies and Clean Energy to construct first biogas unit
TotalEnergies and its U.S. partner Clean Energy, through their joint venture, are launching the construction of their first biomethane production unit, in Friona, Texas, U.S.A. The biomethane will be used as an alternative fuel for mobility, thus contributing to decarbonize road transportation.
Located on the Del Rio Dairy farm, the facility will be fueled by the onsite supply of livestock manure to produce more than 40 gigawatts (GWh) of biomethane per year. The biomethane will be distributed in the United States by Clean Energy through its network of fueling stations, enabling the supply of renewable gas to between 200 and 300 trucks per year.
By processing cow manure, a significant source of methane emissions, and substituting fossil fuels with renewable energies, the project will avoid some 45,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions per year.
“We are pleased to consolidate our entry into the U.S. biomethane market by jointly developing this first production unit on the Del Rio Dairy farm, through our joint venture with Clean Energy,” said Laurent Wolffsheim, senior vice president, Green Gases & Growth, TotalEnergies. “This project marks another step in TotalEnergies’ transformation into a multi-energy company, and in the implementation of its ambition to be a major player in renewables.”
“This project at Del Rio Dairy helps to address the increasing demand for RNG [renewable natural gas] by fleets and is a great example of our partnership with TotalEnergies, one of the world’s leading and most sustainably-minded energy companies,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, president and CEO, Clean Energy. “The added RNG production from Del Rio will help us meet our target to provide this 100% negative carbon emissions fuel at all of our North American stations by 2025.”
Through the acquisition of an interest in Clean Energy in May 2018, TotalEnergies became the largest shareholder of the U.S. leader in natural gas vehicle fuels, with a stake of some 19% today. In March 2021, the two partners established a 50-50 joint venture to speed up the development of biomethane production in the United States.
