RNG systems undervaluedIn Saskatchewan Sask Power spent over $1.5 Billion on a carbon capture system (CCS) to capture and store 450,000 MT/yr from their Boundary Dam coal fired plant. The capital cost per annual MT of CO2 removed is at least $3,300/MT/yr. ($1.5 Billion/450,000 MT/yr of CO2) In Alberta the oil sands producers propose to use Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to remove 77 million MT/yr of CO2 from their operations. The producers say they will need help from taxpayers because the cost will be far to high to fund by themselves.
In Florida Brightmark is building an RNG facility that will process 170,000 MMBTU/yr of RNG using biogas from 4 dairies. This represents about 3,800 MT/yr. of RNG. If the methane had not been trapped and processed it would be equivalent to releasing 300,000 MT/yr of CO2 (methane is 80 x more intense than CO2 over 20 years). The capital cost of a facility this size is about $ 30 million and biogas cleaning equipment is a fraction of that cost. The capital cost per annual MT of CO2 equivalent removed per yr is $100/MT/yr. ($30 million/300,000 MT/yr of CO2)
RNG production is very much more capital cost effective than CCS at removing CO2 but to date RNG producers and equipment suppliers like GRN and others have been unable to capitalize on the value of removing rogue methane. If the objective is to reduce CO2 emissions, then RNG should be at the top of the list and gas cleaning suppliers should have very significantly higher margins. Perhaps this could change if small companies like GRN and others had the time and $$ to lobby like the oil and gas industry does.