DTE Biomass acquires two Renewable Natural Gas facilities in Texas

DTE Biomass Energy, a subsidiary of Detroit, Michigan-based power and gas utility DTE Energy has announced that it has acquired two landfill gas-to-energy projects in Texas, purchasing both the operating Fort Bend Power Producers, LLC facility just outside of Rosenberg and the Seabreeze landfill gas development project in Angleton.

Construction of the Seabreeze plant is expected to commence next month and later this year DTE will expand the RNG capacity at Fort Bend. Fort Bend and Seabreeze bring the number of landfill gas-to-energy projects DTE operates in Texas to three and gives DTE five facilities enterprise-wide which convert landfill gas to pipeline quality renewable natural gas (RNG).

The RNG produced at the Fort Bend project is derived from landfill gas (LFG) which is then ultimately processed to pipeline-quality standards. Today RNG is primarily used to power compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) vehicles, offsetting the use of fossil-based fuel.  The purchase is consistent with DTE’s recently announced, broad sustainability initiative to help address climate change.

These landfill gas-to-energy projects support our continued commitment to renewable energy and growing interest in supplying the renewable vehicle fuels market. We see an increasing demand for natural gas powered vehicles – and RNG production provides a clean, sustainable fuel source with the benefit of reduced emissions over standard fuel, said DTE Biomass President Mark Cousino in a statement.

DTE Biomass Energy is a leader in the US landfill gas industry, with a diverse operating portfolio of 21 projects spanning eight states and include:

• 13 projects generating renewable electricity
• 3 creating natural gas for industrial applications
• 5 producing RNG for vehicle use and other gas services