Suburban Propane, Adirondack Farms partner on RNG project

From left, Michael Stivala, president and CEO of Suburban Propane, and Jon Rulfs, partner at Adirondack Farms. (Photo courtesy of Suburban Propane)

Suburban Propane Partners reached an agreement with Adirondack Farms to construct, own and operate a new biodigester system for the production of renewable natural gas (RNG).

RNG will be produced by taking the manure from dairy cows at Clinton County, New York-based Adirondack Farms and processing it through a digester. Through the process of anaerobic digestion, microorganisms inside the digester will break down the organic material, converting it into RNG and a nutrient-rich material, also known as digestate. RNG will then be delivered to the natural gas distribution system, and the nutrient-rich digestate material will be used by the farm. The digestate is separated further, providing Adirondack Farms with dry, soft materials that are used for cow bedding, and a natural fertilizer that is used in the fields to grow feed for the cows.

“Through our Suburban Renewables platform, we continue to grow our portfolio of renewable energy investments in support of an economy-wide transition to a sustainable energy future,” says Michael Stivala, president and CEO of Suburban Propane. “Our investment in a digester system at Adirondack Farms is the latest endeavor in our ongoing commitment to bring renewable energy to local communities.”

The collaboration with Adirondack Farms will create a revenue opportunity for both Suburban Renewables and Adirondack Farms, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enable the production of RNG.

“Our new partnership with Suburban Propane provides us with the tools needed to take these recycling efforts to a new level, resulting in the production of renewable natural gas,” says Adirondack Farms partner Jon Rulfs. “We realize we’re only a small part of a larger effort to combat climate change, but we want to show how the dairy industry is a leader in the effort to reduce emissions for our communities.”

This project further expands the portfolio of clean energy investments under the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Suburban Renewable Energy, formed in January. This latest investment will also support existing investments in Oberon Fuels and Independence Hydrogen.