American Biogas Council launches Biogas Carbon Accounting Tool

The American Biogas Council (ABC), Washington, has launched its Biogas Carbon Accounting Tool (Biogas CAT) to count the full lifecycle emissions of biogas projects. This new tool was prepared for ABC by EcoEngineers, a Des Moines, Iowa-based clean energy consulting, auditing and advisory firm.

By using the Biogas CAT, ABC says biogas project developers can accurately quantify carbon emissions data for companies that purchase renewable energy from biogas to meet their voluntary greenhouses gas reduction targets. This allows voluntary buyers to more accurately report their emissions cuts to their customers and shareholders and allows biogas projects to participate fairly in carbon markets that trade carbon certificates and realize the fair value of their investments, the association says.

According to ABC, any entity generating carbon-based credits or policy can use this tool to ensure that its carbon accounting is consistent and accurate across the many ways biogas can be produced.

“Thousands of companies, large and small, have already voluntarily committed to shrinking their carbon footprint and want to use renewable natural gas [RNG] and biogas-generated electricity as one way to do so; now we have a common way to properly account for the full lifecycle emissions of biogas projects, each of which can vary substantially in how much methane and CO₂ it reduces,” ABC Executive Director Patrick Serfass says. “Developers, policymakers, customers and regulators all need to accurately count carbon emissions to maximize environmental and economic benefits together.”

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The Biogas CAT builds upon existing carbon accounting tools, including the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Argonne National Laboratory’s Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) model. ABC says that while GREET “is still a gold-standard tool,” it is only focused on the use of renewable fuels for vehicles and does not account for the environmental benefits of replacing synthetic fertilizer use with digested material from biogas systems.

“Joining Argonne’s GREET model, Washington State’s LCFC and Canada’s openLCA, Biogas CAT is an innovation in communicating the importance and benefits of carbon reductions accessible through biogas and RNG,” says Ben Gerber, CEO of M-RETS. “M-RETS launched our thermal system with the intention for people to understand the science-based emissions reductions provided by low-carbon gas and fuels. Providing simplified access to these types of models is critical in strengthening trust. Biogas CAT is another arrow in the quiver of voluntary producers and consumers to easily access the reductions that can be communicated to their supply chains.” 

M-RETS is a nonprofit organization and renewable energy tracker.

“Eco’s collaboration with ABC to develop the Biogas CAT tool reflects our commitment to advancing scientific rigor and transparency in biogas carbon intensity measurement, and we applaud ABC for identifying the importance of these tools within the biogas industry,” EcoEngineers President Brad Pleima says. “The tool builds on our earlier collaboration to create a standardized, transparent and science-based methodology for biogas projects, enabling clear, verified carbon accounting. We’re excited to continue innovating with ABC to enhance the biogas value chain.”