Anaerobic Digestion

Brightmark breaks ground on waste-to-RNG project in Arizona

Brightmark, a San Francisco-based waste solutions provider, has announced the start of construction on its upcoming Caballero Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) project. The project will include the building of new anaerobic digestors at Caballero Dairy Farms, an 8,800-animal farm in Eloy, Arizona.

Upon completion of the project, Brightmark says the digesters are anticipated to generate 214 million British thermal units (MMBtu) of renewable natural gas daily.

“We are excited to break ground on our first RNG project in Arizona as we expand our footprint and operate carbon negative projects across the U.S.,” said Bob Powell, founder and CEO of Brightmark. “We look forward to partnering with Caballero Dairy Farms and see significant opportunities to continue to advance our mission of reimagining waste in communities across the U.S. that can benefit from the new economic and environmental value our projects deliver.”

The natural gas produced by the Caballero project will be delivered into the El Paso Natural Gas Pipeline owned by Houston-based Kinder Morgan.

The project is owned and operated by Brightmark RNG Holdings LLC, a Brightmark platform, in partnership with Chevron USA Inc., San Ramon, California. Brightmark, which developed the project, expects construction to be complete in the first quarter of 2022. Brightmark currently owns and operates 29 RNG projects in eight states.

“We pride ourselves on being good stewards of the environment to ensure our natural resources are protected for current and future generations,” said Craig Caballero, owner of Caballero Dairy Farms. “By bringing this innovative technology to our farm, we are leading by example and showing how dairy farms across Arizona can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve water quality and protect the environment while generating new sources of revenue. We are proud to partner with Brightmark RNG.”

When fully operational, Brightmark says the Caballero RNG project will reduce 33,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year, the equivalent of planting 43,000 acres of forest. In addition, the project is expected to generate 73,400 MMBtu of renewable gas annually.