Aemetis launches $12mn biogas plant in California

US firm Aemetis announced on March 9 it had started commissioning a $12mn biogas facility in California that will be connected to the PG&E gas pipeline at its Keyes ethanol plant.

The commissioning process is expected to be completed in April, providing utility-grade renewable natural gas (RNG) for sale to customers via pipeline. Produced from the dairy industry, this RNG can be used as a fuel for trucks and buses, Aemetis said, replacing petroleum fuels. All told, engineering, permitting, procurement and construction took three years to complete.

“We look forward to beginning commercial deliveries of low cost, carbon negative fuel to our RNG customers in the heavy vehicle industry, including trucking companies, waste haulers, and bus operators,"  Aemetis' president for biogas, Andy Foster, said in a statement.

Aemetis announced a five-year plan in February to invest over $300mn in the development of 66 dairy digests and more than 57 km of pipeline to produce over 1.5bn Btu annually of RNG.