FortisBC and Ren Energy partner to produce RNG from wood waste

FortisBC, Surrey, British Columbia, is teaming up with Ren Energy International Corp., Kelowna, British Columbia, to offer renewable natural gas (RNG) produced from wood waste to its customers.

The project features technology being used for the first time in North America and represents new opportunities to reduce emissions. The production facility will be owned and operated by Ren Energy and located near Fruitvale, British Columbia.

"We are extremely pleased with our FortisBC agreement spanning 20 years, to provide RNG to our fellow BC customers," says Philip Viggiani, president of Ren Energy.

RNG is a carbon-neutral energy that is typically made from capturing the methane released from decomposing organic waste. This project will make use of waste from forestry operations, sawmills and other wood product manufacturers. In addition, rather than collecting the methane from decomposition, the project would create syngas through gasification.

The syngas will then be further converted to methane and purified to meet natural gas line specifications. Once operational, the technology would create a use for forestry waste in British Columbia and unlock the potential for significant new volumes of RNG.

"This is such an exciting win for us,” said Doug Stout, vice president of market development and external relations at FortisBC. “This and future projects like it will rely on waste already generated by sustainable forestry, making it a credible addition to energy production in this province. I'd like to thank Ren Energy and the community of Fruitvale for their partnership as we continue to work hard to reduce emissions and advance towards a lower carbon future."

The project received regulatory approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission last month and is expected to be in service in the summer of 2021. It is anticipated to produce over one million gigajoules (GJ) of RNG annually, which would make it the largest source of RNG in the province to date.