In the United States (US), renewable natural gas (RNG) project developer, Brightmark RNG Holdings LLC (Brightmark) has announced plans to construct its first anaerobic digestion (AD) plant in the State of California (CA). To be developed on a dairy farm in Chowchilla, the project is expected to be completed in 2023.
Brightmark RNG Holdings LLC – a joint venture partnership between Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and Brightmark Fund Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of the global waste solutions provider Brightmark LLC – plans to construct the anaerobic digestion (AD) project in partnership with Vlot Calf Ranch in Chowchilla, California (CA).
The Vlot AD project is anticipated to capture, clean, and convert methane from manure on the Vlot Calf Ranch and dairy farm into renewable natural gas (RNG).
Sustainability considerations and agriculture go hand-in-hand; one cannot exist without the other. As farmers and livestock owners, we take pride in caring for our land and environment because we know that when we do that, it will, in turn, take care of us and our animals. It is what farmers, ranchers, and dairy farmers do. Innovation in agriculture is constant and ever-changing, said Case Vlot of Vlot Calf Ranch
When used in the transportation sector, RNG from dairy operations has a negative carbon intensity on a lifecycle basis under California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).
As a California company, Chevron has provided the state’s residents with affordable, reliable energy for more than 140 years. Developing and delivering renewable natural gas with Brightmark and the Vlot Calf Ranch, once completed, demonstrates our commitment to working across critical sectors of the state’s economy to increase the supply of fuels with a lower lifecycle carbon intensity said Andy Walz, President of Chevron Americas Fuels & Lubricants.
First and largest in California
The Vlot Project is Brightmark RNG Holdings LLC’s first renewable natural gas project in the state of California.
The Vlot Project represents a major milestone for Brightmark and its RNG production efforts. Being able to partner with Chevron and the Vlot Calf Ranch on our largest RNG project to date and the first project in our home state of California represents a particular point of pride for our company and efforts, said Bob Powell, Founder, and CEO of Brightmark.
The project is expected to be completed in 2023. Other renewable products generated by the project include recycled water back to the farm, biofertilizer, and digested dairy fiber, which can be used as cow bedding or as a peat moss substitute.
This digester is another step in providing environmental benefits to our farm and surroundings. In this case, it’s utilizing the manure from our cattle in an anaerobic digester that will help generate those benefits to continue our legacy in sustainability. We are looking forward to seeing this project completed, ended Case Vlot.
