Energy Vision Leadership Awards Go to Innovative Urban Anaerobic Digester Projects and Leading Biomethane Producer
Energy Vision awards several Leadership Awards to innovative recycling and waste-reduction-centered organizations.
October 18, 2022
At an awards reception in Manhattan last week the NGO Energy Vision, which researches and promotes clean energy and circular economy solutions, presented Leadership Awards to the following organizations:
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), along with its partners National Grid and Waste Management, which together developed an anaerobic digester project at the Newtown Creek wastewater treatment plant in Brooklyn. It converts methane gases from wastewater (up to 300 million gallons daily) and from food waste (up to 500 tons daily) into clean, carbon-free renewable natural gas (RNG), which can be injected into the local natural gas distribution system and used to heat over 5,000 homes.
Green Era, which is developing the first urban farming campus using inedible food wastes to generate RNG and high-quality compost in a historically polluted and underserved neighborhood on Chicago's South Side; and
Nature Energy, a global leader in RNG production. It collects organic wastes from businesses and agriculture to produce RNG and soil nutrients. Based in Denmark, the company is expanding its operations to new projects in Europe, the US, and Canada.
RNG is the lowest-carbon fuel available. Its production prevents methane emissions and its use displaces fossil natural gas and high-carbon diesel. A short video depicting the awardees' RNG projects is posted here.
"Newtown Creek's digester project is visionary," said Angela DeLillo, Acting Deputy Commissioner of DEP's Bureau of Wastewater Treatment. "It represents a tight circular economy, and makes efficient use of our existing infrastructure."
"RNG produced at Newtown Creek can help meet climate goals in New York State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act while insuring affordable, reliable energy for New Yorkers to heat their homes and power their businesses," said Clara Giustino, National Grid VP of Capital Delivery and Project Management.
"This collaboration is using food waste and renewable energy to offset the use of fossil fuels. This is an incredible accomplishment for the city, the climate, and our business," said Waste Management Greater Mid-Atlantic Area Vice President Chris Farley.
"Closed-loop digester systems like Green Era's helps the environment, helps meet zero-waste recycling goals, and benefit the community," said Jason Feldman, CEO of Green Era Sustainability LLC. "It's a blueprint for developing an equitable green economy and sustainable future for all."
"We are leading the biogas 2.0 movement," said Steen Parsholt, Vice Chairman of Nature Energy. "With new policies like the Inflation Reduction Act's production tax credits and new solutions we have developed, we expect to expand biomethane production by nine times in the next five years."
"Energy Vision began focusing public attention on the organic waste-to-fuel strategy in 2009," said Energy Vision president Matt Tomich. "Today, over 250 plants in the US are producing RNG fuel, 90,000 trucks and buses are running on it, and the industry has created 10,000 jobs. This is astonishing growth, which has only just begun."
Read the full version of this release here.
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