Renewable natural gas (RNG) surpasses CNG in terms of total natural gas consumed by vehicles, according to BloombergNEF’s Sustainable Energy Factbook, released this month. The data confirms that the move to RNG from CNG is happening much faster than anticipated. The same study noted that “17 gas utility companies now have regulatory approval to sell renewable natural gas”. This RNG trend and relevant information will be presented at the Appalachian RNG Conference on April 18, 2024 at the Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe/Pittsburgh. “This is just one of fast evolving trends occurring in the RNG market trends that will be discussed at our conference,” said Tom Gellrich, CEO & Founder, RNG Directory.
The use of RNG on roads is expected to expand, in part due to new technology. Cummins is rolling out its X15N engine this year after customer testing in 2023. It’s the first 15-liter natural gas engine fit for heavy-duty trucks and long-haul applications. The company has described the engine as comparable to diesel engines with the same applications, and said it can run on RNG, opening up a new market for the fuel.
That rising demand is good news for farmers with RNG facilities as well as landfill operators and looking to cash in on the biogas produced by decomposing organic materials. Newly-released data from the American Biogas Council (ABC) indicates that 2023 was the third year of record growth across the U.S. biogas industry,[1] with nearly 100 new projects coming online last year— representing $1.8 billion in capital investments. ABC expects this growth to continue into 2024, with more than 100 new projects already projected to go into operation this year.