In the United States (US), renewable fuels company Aemetis, Inc. has announced the recognition of revenues from its first sale of California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits generated by its subsidiary, Aemetis Biogas LLC. The environmental credits were sold in a single transaction to a market maker and the sale price has been paid in full.
Aemetis Biogas produces renewable natural gas (RNG) from dairy manure digesters located in California’s Central Valley.
The company has agreements with 37 dairies, operates digesters serving eight dairies, operates a central biogas-to-RNG production facility with utility gas pipeline interconnection, and has completed 36 miles of biogas pipeline with a total of 60 miles already permitted under CEQA.
Aemetis Biogas is actively growing by constructing additional digesters with a goal of 18 operating dairy digesters by the end of this year, stated Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis.
Negative carbon intensity boosts LCFS revenues
The sale was completed for LCFS credits issued by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) using the negative 150 Carbon Intensity Temporary Pathway.
For each dairy, Aemetis has completed testing and verification as well as submitted applications for Provisional Pathways to CARB at lower carbon intensity scores based on actual data from biogas production and dairy operations.
The Provisional Pathway scores are expected to increase LCFS revenues by more than 80 percent for future LCFS credit sales after the Provisional Pathways are approved, compared to the number of LCFS credits issued under the Temporary Pathway.
Producers utilize the Temporary Pathway while CARB is processing their pathway applications.
The LCFS program is a mechanism for companies that are obligated to comply with mandates to reduce carbon emissions in California by purchasing credits from biofuel producers.
The program requires oil companies and other fuel blenders to provide LCFS credits for gallons of gasoline, diesel, and other petroleum products sold in California.
The cash proceeds received by Aemetis Biogas from the sale of LCFS credits is a meaningful milestone that contributes to our further investments in capturing biomethane at dairies to improve local air quality, reduce the global warming effects of methane emissions, and replace fossil diesel fuel in trucks in California, said Eric McAfee.
Expanded LCFS up for review
On March 21, 2024, CARB will hold a public hearing to review expanded LCFS credit mandates for twenty years through the year 2045.
The staff recommendation setting forth the higher mandates stated an intention to provide stable policy and strong LCFS credit prices to attract long-term funding to build production facilities for lower-emission, renewable fuels to replace petroleum fuels in California.
Lower-emission renewable fuels include RNG from dairy methane that can replace diesel in trucks and buses, produce renewable electricity for electric vehicles, and produce hydrogen for forklifts, cars, and trucks.
Dairy waste is a major methane emissions source
According to Aemetis, approximately 25 percent of methane emissions in California are emitted from dairy waste lagoons.
In October 2022 and July 2023, Aemetis Biogas closed on a total of US$50 million of construction and 20-year debt financing for dairy digester construction utilizing US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) loan guarantee commitments.
An additional US$100 million of 20-year, USDA-guaranteed, REAP loan financings are in process, with planned closings during 2024.
When fully built, Aemetis Biogas plans to capture methane from the waste produced by more than 150,000 cows at dairy farms in California and produce 1,600,000 MMBtu of RNG from captured dairy methane each year.
The project is designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equivalent to an estimated 6.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) over ten years.
Aemetis is also building its own RNG fueling station at the company’s Keyes, California ethanol plant to fuel trucks with locally produced RNG that provides a 90 percent reduction in emissions compared to petroleum diesel fuel.
