Farm to Fuel

Helping clients turn organic waste into renewable natural gas

Solar and wind power get most of the attention when it comes to clean energy, but another resource deserves recognition: renewable natural gas. A modern-day waste-to-energy story, organic wastes such as food, wastewater, and manure from farm animals can be readily transformed into a renewable form of natural gas.

Renewable natural gas, or RNG, is a biogas created from the decomposition or digestion of organic waste. This digestion, known as anaerobic digestion, leads to the release of biogas, which can be captured and cleaned to produce pipeline-quality RNG.

“RNG projects require a high level of collaboration among multiple stakeholders—namely property owners, developers, consultants, and contractors,” said Katie Childs, CHMM, Project Manager, Langan. “RNG is typically produced at sites with active operations, such as dairy farms, landfills, and wastewater treatment plants. Our integrated team navigates these challenges and develops practical solutions for our clients.”

Fueled by incentives within the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, RNG production and usage is on the rise. Most of the RNG in the U.S. is being used to decarbonize the medium- and heavy-duty transportation sector, while some of the RNG is directly injected into pipelines.

Whether providing geotechnical services to design a solid foundation for heavy concrete digesters or helping clients comply with applicable federal, state, and local environmental regulations, Langan continues to advance this industry, providing integrated services for more than 75 projects across 11 states in just the past two years.