Enviva Partners, LP (NYSE: EVA) (“Enviva”) and GreenGasUSA, an integrated renewable natural gas (RNG) solutions provider, announced a 10-year RNG offtake agreement to decarbonize natural gas-related emissions in Enviva’s operations. The agreement is expected to eliminate more than 64,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent from the atmosphere every year, which equates to 14,000 passenger cars being removed from the road.
Enviva’s commitment underwrites a stand-alone GreenGasUSA project to install equipment that captures and treats methane currently being released directly into the atmosphere at a food processing facility in rural South Carolina. As part of the agreement, GreenGasUSA will transport the RNG directly to Enviva’s Hamlet plant to be utilized in its industry-leading emissions control equipment in place of fossil natural gas in the third quarter of 2022. The elimination of direct methane emissions at the food processing facility and conversion of these gases into RNG will be one of the first “food waste to RNG projects” conducted in the U.S. Southeast. In fact, the methane captured and emissions eliminated as a result of this offtake agreement are expected to offset approximately 75% of all Enviva’s direct emissions from its manufacturing operations, or Scope 1 emissions, on an annual basis for the duration of the 10-year agreement.
Studies have shown that methane released into the atmosphere is a highly potent greenhouse gas that is 85 times more impactful than CO2 over a 20-year life cycle. Capturing fugitive methane from wastewater facilities, landfills, agricultural activities, and other sources has been identified by the EPA as a key strategy to reduce greenhouse gases and slow global warming. In addition, RNG projects provide much needed investment and income in rural agricultural communities disconnected from infrastructure.
Earlier this year, Enviva announced a Net-Zero Commitment that will reduce, eliminate, or offset all of its direct emissions by 2030. As part of this ambitious plan to cut carbon emissions from fossil fuels and improve energy efficiency, Enviva agreed to adopt innovative and improved lower-emission processes through investments in projects that result in real, additional, and third-party verified net-carbon reductions.
Courtesy of Enviva.