Annapolis, MD – bp and CleanBay Renewables announced a 15-year agreement where bp will purchase renewable natural gas (RNG) processed from poultry litter – a mixture of manure, feathers and bedding – and sell it as fuel for the US transportation sector.
CleanBay manages this process by mixing poultry litter with water in a closed system known as an anaerobic digester. One of the end products is biogas, which includes methane. The biogas can be processed into RNG and used to fuel vehicles.
CleanBay’s approach builds on the sustainability efforts of the agriculture community by re-purposing poultry litter into RNG and a controlled-release fertilizer designed for optimized nutrient management.
Through this agreement, bp’s trading and shipping team will sell the fuel to its customers, initially in California. There is strong demand for RNG fuel in the state due to incentives from its Low Carbon Fuel Standard. RNG-fueled vehicles are estimated to result in up to 95 percent lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than those fueled by gasoline or diesel on a lifecycle basis, according to a US Department of Energy study.
Thomas Spangler, executive chairman, CleanBay Renewables: “By collaborating with bp, we continue taking steps to positively impact our environment. Not only will our process improve the air, soil and water quality around our agricultural facilities, but our RNG is a sustainable, environmentally-friendly way to help reduce GHG emissions.”
CleanBay is an environmental technology company focused on the production of sustainable RNG and engineered organic fertilizers. This agreement with bp directly supports the financing for its first active bio-conversion facility, planned in eastern Maryland.
CleanBay is actively exploring sites for future facilities in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and California. Its goal is to establish a portfolio of RNG and power facilities that reduce local emissions and provide farmers with an alternative use for their poultry litter and a fertilizer to increase their food production. Each of the 30 proposed CleanBay facilities is expected to generate enough sustainable energy to power 9,200 cars per year by recycling more than 150,000 tons of poultry litter annually.
CleanBay has incorporated measures to further reduce its carbon footprint, including co-located solar power fields to meet the onsite power needs and the production of alternative products like green hydrogen.
Donal Buckley, CEO, CleanBay Renewables: “RNG is a necessary energy transition approach in the near-term, but green hydrogen and the use of RNG to power electric vehicle charging stations will be the backbone of a fast transition to a net zero future.”
Founded in 2013, CleanBay Renewables is an enviro-tech company that harnesses science, technology and economics to tilt the balance back in favor of nature, while protecting the agricultural sector that provides a vital service to humanity. For more information, visit https://cleanbayrenewables.com.
bp’s ambition is to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner, and to help the world get to net zero. bp is America’s largest energy investor since 2005, investing more than $130 billion in the economy and supporting more than 125,000 additional jobs through its business activities. For more information on bp in the US, visit www.bp.com/us.
Andy Hallmark, Outreach Director, CleanBay Renewables
Email: Andy@cleanbayrenewables.com