BioTown Biogas activates waste-to-energy facility
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A renewable energy producer in White County is cutting the ribbon Wednesday on it calls one of the largest on-farm biodigester facilities in the world. BioTown Biogas says the facility takes agricultural waste and processes it into renewable natural gas and electric power.
The facility, located in the town of Reynolds, is expected to produce more than 3 million gallons of fuel and 42 million kilowatt-hours of renewable power annually. BTB said the project will support more than 50 jobs in White County and surrounding communities.
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch calls the opening of the facility a tipping point for the Midwest and the energy industry.
“With the commissioning of this renewable energy facility, BioTown Biogas and the State of Indiana are claiming our position on the leading edge of a new era in clean energy production,” said Crouch. “Indiana is eager to see and support more of this type of investment in the state.”
BTB said the waste goes through a process called anaerobic digestion, which produces biogas. The biogas is then processed into methane that goes through a series of treatments to remove hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, moisture and other contaminants.
The resulting product is pipeline-quality RNG that can be provided to local utilities.
BTB says the RNG can also be used by specialized generators that turn the methane into green electricity, which can then be transferred to the grid for electric utilities to distribute to customers.
Merrillville-based Northern Indiana Public Service Co. will buy the electric power generated by the facility, while Denver-based United Energy Trading, which has offices in Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, will buy the RNG produced by BTB.
BTB is a joint venture between BioTown Ag, also based in Reynolds, and New York-based Green Rock Energy Partners, a private equity firm that invests in renewable energy companies and projects.