Synthica Energy to develop anaerobic digestion and renewable natural gas facility in Houston

Synthica Energy LLC, Blue Ash, Ohio, announced the development of an anaerobic digestion facility in Houston.

According to a news release by Synthica, the facility will focus on converting organic byproducts from food, beverage and biofuel producers into renewable natural gas (RNG), reducing the organics currently taking up space in landfills and other nonsustainable outlets.

Synthica’s facility is being developed at an industrial site along the ship channel east of Houston to ensure easy access for manufacturers in the region. The project is expected to be completed in late 2024, and will utilize Synthica’s Urban Friendly Digestion technology, a sustainable method of creating RNG.

“Houston has been a major target market for Synthica and we are excited to see our plans to scale our model come to fruition,” Synthica CEO Sam Schutte says. “Synthica Houston will divert about 300,000 tons per year of organic wastes from nonsustainable outlets, providing companies in the region who wish to make their operations more environmentally friendly a sustainable choice.”

The company says the facility will produce about 350,000 metric million British thermal units of carbon-negative RNG annually. This removes CO2 from the atmosphere and helps local gas consumers meet aggressive environmental, social and governance goals. Analysts have estimated US demand for RNG will increase significantly within the next two decades.

“We are pleased to welcome Synthica Energy to Houston,” says Susan Davenport, chief economic development officer of the Greater Houston Partnership. “The company’s new Houston facility advances our region’s global leadership position in the critical effort to create an energy-abundant, low carbon future. Synthica’s state-of-the-art facility will benefit from Houston’s leading energy infrastructure and market, talented energy workforce and a robust supply of industrial byproducts and organic waste."