Avolta, a renewable energy company focused on originating, developing, owning, and operating renewable natural gas (RNG) projects, and its regional development partner, Atlas Global Holdings, LLC, held an official groundbreaking to kick off the first of two RNG Projects at the Butterfield and Milky Way dairies outside of Phoenix, Arizona.
“Avolta is pleased to expand into Arizona with the new RNG upgrading facility at Butterfield Dairy. The Butterfield RNG Facility will positively impact the environment while simultaneously providing benefits to the de Jong family farming operation,” said Gov Siegel, co-founder of Avolta. “This will be the first in a series of projects in Arizona that uphold our commitment to supporting the dairy industry and providing economic opportunities to local communities all while reducing the impact on the environment.”
“Since our family began farming in 1620, we have continuously improved our operations and processes to remain competitive and be a good steward of the land. Most recently we designed Butterfield Dairy to be carbon neutral through managing our water to support crops and capture carbon dioxide,” said the family patriarch, Tommy de Jong Sr. “This RNG project with Atlas and Avolta is a next phase in this tradition of continuous improvement with many benefits for our farming operation and the environment.”
Dairy based biogas systems use anaerobic digestion to convert manure into biogas. The dairy manure streams are diverted and stored in digestors for a specified time to allow the bacteria to “digest” the manure. As the manure is digested, methane (CH4) is created. The methane gas is then processed (upgraded) to pipeline quality gas before being injected into the nearest gas pipeline. Biogas is currently being produced in all 50 states and the industry is primed for unprecedented growth. For farmers, the combined anaerobic digestors and RNG upgrading facilities provide optimized waste management solutions to the dairy operations, help create long-term financial stability through gas sales, and provide an organic cow bedding supply. Each RNG Facility built and put in operation creates local jobs, provides several benefits to the farming operation and provides a renewable, sustainable energy source.
Collectively, Butterfield and Milky Way dairies care for more than 50,000 cows and the projects will generate over 675,000 MMBtu of RNG annually which will ultimately be distributed as renewable transportation fuel. The Butterfield and Milky Way projects are scheduled to begin delivering gas into a Southwest Gas Pipeline at the end of the fourth quarter 2021 and first quarter 2022, respectively. Both facilities will be operated and maintained by Nacelle Solutions, a gas technology and service company with design and operational expertise in both the Oil & Gas and Biogas industries.
Avolta is an execution focused developer of renewable natural gas projects that brings a full suite of capabilities to project development including identifying potential development targets, performing financial and operational due diligence, securing gas rights, obtaining off-take agreements for gas and environmental credits, and project financing. Avolta and its partners remain involved throughout the development life-cycle of a project including managing ongoing operations. This approach provides new economic opportunities and reduces the impact on the environment for years to come.
Nacelle is a leading technology and service company specializing in gas conditioning and advancement of the energy and biogas industries. With a history rooted in solving problems for their customers, one of Nacelle’s great assets is its service background and track record of delivering results. Nacelle provides innovative technology solutions and 24/7/365 operations and service ensuring a high level of performance and success. Since inception, Nacelle has successfully executed 320+ different projects with an average throughput of 2000 scfm (~3 million scf per day) of processed gas. Nacelle designs, builds and installs RNG upgrading equipment and currently operates and maintains several RNG facilities throughout the United States. Nacelle also provides engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services – partnering with developers to ensure the project is designed for ease of operations, built on schedule and within budget. Nacelle is committed to gas conditioning technologies and service that meet the complex and evolving demands of the energy and biogas industries.
Atlas Global Holdings, LLC, (AGH) was founded in 2013 for the purposes of utilizing efficient, profitable, and proven technologies that address the global energy demand and waste stream challenges in an environmentally friendly manner. The company engages with public and private waste stream providers, to identify the type and quantity of waste streams available for conversion. Feasibility studies are conducted to determine the appropriate end markets and the optimal technologies to be employed. We endeavor to divert waste materials from lagoon and landfilling processes, thereby protecting our land, water aquifers, and air for future generations. AGH projects convert existing waste streams into Renewable Natural Gas, organic fertilizer, compost, recyclables and electricity. As a renewable energy project developer, AGH will continue to pursue projects that are within the acceptable parameters of the AGH risk and profit profile.
