UGI Energy Services, Synthica Energy break ground for new RNG facility

Hamilton RNG Holdings has announced that they have broken ground at the site of their new food waste digester project in St. Bernard, Ohio, which will produce renewable natural gas (RNG).

Hamilton RNG is a joint venture owned by a subsidiary of UGI Energy Services, a subsidiary of UGI Corporation, and Synthica Energy.

The food waste digester, Synthica St. Bernard, is Hamilton RNG’s first project of this kind. The digester is expected to be completed in late 2024 and will process approximately 190,000 annual tons of food waste from food manufacturers in an anaerobic digester. Once completed, the project will have the capacity to generate approximately 250,000 MMBTUs (million BTUs) of pipeline-quality RNG annually. The RNG produced will be injected into a local natural gas pipeline on the regional distribution system.

Using time-tested technology, anaerobic digesters allow for the transformation of food waste into renewable energy. In recent years as the technology has evolved, advanced odor control and pretreatment options have become available that allow digesters to be compatible with more urban environments.

RNG projects reduce waste and long-term greenhouse gas emissions, while also increasing the use of renewable energy. GHI Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of UGI Energy Services, will be the exclusive off-taker and marketer of the RNG.

“UGI continues to expand its opportunities in the RNG market while supporting its corporate sustainability commitments,” said Robert F. Beard, UGI’s chief operations officer. “Continuing to invest in renewable energy solutions is one of the ways that we fulfill our goal of providing safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy solutions to customers and build a better future for our stakeholders.”

“This facility will process organic waste from the greater Cincinnati region that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill, or less sustainable disposal sites, and turn it into renewable natural gas,” said Sam Schutte, Synthica Energy CEO. “From the environmental benefits Synthica St. Bernard will bring to the greater Cincinnati area to the jobs this project will create and support, this project is a win for Hamilton RNG and the surrounding communities.”

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