Cows and Cannabinoids: Aemetis’ Dairy Digestor Biogas, Hyasynth’s Yeast-Based Cannabinoids

October 26, 2020

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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Things are heating up with Aemetis now producing dairy digester biogas from the first two dairies in a 17 dairy digester biogas project that will be used for ethanol production and added four miles of private pipeline that is moving forward transportation fuel. And cannabinoids are hot right now, especially with Hyasynth who just completed a key commercialization milestone for cannabinoid biosynthesis – cannabinoids produced using yeasts and fermentation.

In today’s Digest, delve into the cows and cannabis news of today to find out what’s next for Aemetis with the other 15 dairy digesters and additional RNG and transportation fuel pipeline, what’s so hot about Hyasynth’s news, how their cannabinoids are made using microbial biosynthesis, the cannabinoid market, and more.

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Aemetis is producing dairy biogas from the first two dairies in a 17 dairy digester biogas project. The below-zero carbon intensity gas is initially being utilized for the production of fuel ethanol at the Aemetis Advanced Fuels Keyes facility in Keyes, California. Aemetis also produces high-grade sanitizer alcohol and various feed products at its Keyes facility.

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In December 2020, the Company plans to begin construction of a gas upgrading system that will convert dairy biogas to renewable natural gas for injection into the PG&E pipeline or utilization as Renewable CNG at the company’s onsite renewable compressed natural gas (R-CNG) fueling station. During 2021, the company plans to continue development of the next fifteen dairy digesters and related pipeline in the 17 dairy digester RNG cluster located near the Aemetis Keyes plant. The project funding plan has no debt and more than $65 million of preferred equity investment and grants.

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(Aemetis President, Andy) Foster also told The Digest that while they aren’t ready to publicly announce off-take agreements, they are “currently planning to sell gas into the PG&E utility pipeline to customers who will utilize the RNG for transportation fuel. Additionally, we will be installing a renewable compressed natural gas (RCNG) fueling station at the Aemetis Keyes ethanol plant in April 2021. We are in the process of signing up local trucking fleets to utilize the RCNG as a replacement for diesel fuel. Finally, we have the ability to utilize the RNG in the ethanol plant (as a replacement for petroleum based natural gas) for the production of fuel ethanol. So we have maximum flexibility in how we can utilize and market the RNG from the dairy digester project.”

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"... For dairy owners, we are helping them address a state mandate to mitigate methane/CO2 emissions by covering their manure lagoons with our anaerobic digesters, and giving them an additional revenue stream as we pay them for the use of their manure and for participation in the LCFS program. For local residents, we are creating new jobs (construction related, as well as some permanent positions that will be added at Aemetis for the operation of the system), and we are mitigating sizable amounts of GHG that pollute their air (reducing odor from dairies and improving local air quality). For California, it’s the GHG reductions (cleaner air) as well as strengthening the LCFS program (and providing credits for obligated parties), and reducing the use of diesel for short and long-haul trucking. For Aemetis, it allows us to strengthen the local dairy community (who purchase our wet distillers grains), diversify our business with a new revenue stream (sale of RNG), and lower the overall CI for the Keyes plant by replacing petroleum based natural gas usage at the Keyes plant."

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Hyasynth completes key commercialization milestone for cannabinoid biosynthesis

Being first to market is super important for any company. That’s why Hyasynth’s news caught our attention on as well with their announcement on Friday that they received a $2.5M milestone payment for its commercialization achievements in being first-to-market with cannabidiol (CBD) produced and extracted from yeast.

The additional investment came from previous investors including Organigram Holdings Inc., a leading licensed producer of cannabis. This commercialization and milestone payment positions the company to move towards large scale commercial manufacturing.

Hyasynth produces CBD through a yeast fermentation process, without the need for cultivation and extraction from cannabis or hemp plants.

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“Our head start in this area was a key factor in us being the first to reach commercial sale of CBD and CBDa produced from a reliable and sustainable source.” said Kevin Chen, CEO of Hyasynth. “We’ve assembled an excellent team of researchers, built an IP portfolio across many cannabinoids, and our production & sale achievement is one of the last checkpoints before we make our solution available worldwide.” The company is in the process of scaling up its CBD and CBDa production process to industrial volumes and aims to deliver scaled production in 2021.

Hyasynth is looking for additional partners to join in commercializing its wide range of biobased cannabinoids.

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You can also access The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Amyris & Cannabinoids here. READ MORE

Aemetis Biogas Awarded $7.8 Million in CDFA Grants for Phase 2 RNG Dairy Digester Project (Aemetis)

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