FortisBC Teams with Dicklands Farms to Produce Renewable Natural Gas from Agricultural Waste

May 03, 2023

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(FortisBC/PR Newswire) FortisBC Energy Inc. (FortisBC) is adding more Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)¹ to its system by teaming with Dicklands Farms in Chilliwack, British Columbia (B.C.), who is producing RNG from agricultural and food waste. Once the project is at peak production, it is expected to produce enough low-carbon² RNG to meet the annual gas needs of approximately 2,000 B.C. homes.

"With Dicklands Farms and the existing Fraser Valley Biogas project, the residents of the Fraser Valley can be proud of how much their community is helping advance a lower-carbon future in B.C.," said Jenelle De La Cour, manager, Renewable Gas accounts with FortisBC. "The more RNG we have, the less conventional natural gas we need. Every RNG project is a win for climate action."

When bacteria break down organic waste from sources such as landfills, agricultural farms and wastewater from treatment facilities, it produces a biogas mostly made of methane. FortisBC works with local farms, landfills, green energy companies and municipalities to capture and purify this methane, which would otherwise escape into the atmosphere, to create RNG for its customers. As RNG mixes seamlessly into the existing natural gas infrastructure, it decarbonizes the natural gas supply, displaces equivalent volumes of conventional natural gas and lowers greenhouse gas emissions overall.

For this project, Dicklands Farms is combining anaerobic digestion and a biogas upgrading plant to produce RNG from the manure of the farm's dairy cows and from other locally produced organic food waste.

"Turning our agricultural manure and local food waste into RNG, organic fertilizer pellets and clean water is a great way for us to diversify the farm's revenue streams, while also operating the farm in a more sustainable manner in line with our values" said George Dick, Dicklands Farms owner. "Myself and my family are very excited to be supplying FortisBC with RNG".

Renewable Natural Gas is derived from organic sources, uses existing carbon already within the ecosystem and contributes fewer new carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than conventional natural gas, making it a low-carbon fuel. Over 11,500 B.C. homes and businesses are already subscribed to FortisBC's RNG program. By 2030, FortisBC projects that there will be enough renewable and low-carbon gas³ in the system to meet the annual gas needs of close to 345,000 B.C. homes.

To learn more about RNG, visit fortisbc.com/RNG.

About FortisBC

FortisBC Energy Inc. is a regulated utility focused on providing safe and reliable energy, including natural gas, Renewable Natural Gas and propane. FortisBC Energy Inc. employs around 2,096 British Columbians and serves approximately 1,075,595 customers across British Columbia. FortisBC Energy Inc. owns and operates approximately 51,174 kilometres of gas transmission and distribution pipelines. FortisBC Energy Inc. is a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry. FortisBC Energy Inc. uses the FortisBC name and logo under license from Fortis Inc. For further information on FortisBC, visit www.fortisbc.com. For further information on Fortis Inc., visit www.fortisinc.com.

¹ Renewable Natural Gas is produced in a different manner than conventional natural gas. It is derived from biogas, which is produced from decomposing organic waste from landfills, agricultural waste and wastewater from treatment facilities. The biogas is captured and cleaned to create Renewable Natural Gas (also called biomethane).

² When compared to the lifecycle carbon intensity of conventional natural gas. The burner tip carbon intensity of FortisBC's current RNG portfolio is 0.29 gCO2e/MJ. FortisBC's current RNG portfolio lifecycle emissions are -22 gCO2e/MJ. This is below B.C.'s low carbon threshold for lifecycle carbon intensity of 36.4 gCO2e/MJ as set out in the 2021 B.C. Hydrogen Strategy.

³ FortisBC uses the term renewable and low-carbon gas to refer collectively to the low-carbon and carbon-neutral gases or fuels that the utility can acquire under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Clean Energy) Regulation, which are: Renewable Natural Gas (RNG or biomethane), hydrogen, synthesis gas (from wood waste) and lignin. Depending on their source, all of these gases have differing levels of lifecycle carbon intensity. All gases would meet the proposed B.C. carbon intensity threshold for low-carbon gases of 36.4 g CO2e per megajoule set out in the 2021 B.C. Hydrogen Strategy.