A manure-to-energy venture deemed the state’s largest renewable natural gas project is poised for Sampson and Duplin, and received a celebrated — and widely-attended — roll-out during a Thursday event in Clinton.
Dominion Energy and Smithfield Foods, Inc. announced what they termed a “groundbreaking” for North Carolina’s largest renewable natural gas project through Align Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). The announcement was made at Sampson County Agri-Exposition Center’s Heritage Hall.
Stations were set up to provide more information and Align’s employees in blue shirts were there to guide those in attendance through the specifics of the project. Located in Sampson and Duplin counties, the project will generate enough energy to power more than 3,500 homes annually upon completion, industry officials said.
Through Align, a multi-state venture, methane emissions from hog waste will be captured and converted into renewable energy that can power homes and businesses. Farms participate on a voluntary basis.
This is the first “manure-to-energy” project to begin construction under Align, whose establishment was first announced in late 2018. Additional projects are planned in North Carolina, Utah and Virginia, and are projected to produce enough energy to power 14,000 homes and businesses in total.
The emissions reduction associated with those projects equate to planting 7.8 million new trees or taking 100,000 passenger vehicles off the road, officials said.
“Breaking ground on this project with Dominion Energy is an exciting first step in bringing Align RNG to life,” said Kraig Westerbeek, senior director of Smithfield Renewables and hog production environmental affairs for Smithfield Foods. “This project implements proven manure-to-energy technology across a number of farms to produce reliable renewable energy for our community and contributes to our company’s ambitious goal to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2025.”
As part of the initiative, technology will be installed across as many as 19 area farms to transform manure into renewable natural gas that will be processed and injected into existing natural gas distribution systems to serve local homes and businesses.
Those farms will be located in Sampson and Duplin on both sides of I-40, including the Turkey, Warsaw and Magnolia areas.
This project is modeled after the Optima KV project, which captures biogas on five Smithfield contract farms in North Carolina, and similar projects on Smithfield farms in Northern Missouri and Utah.
“What we are starting today is truly transformational,” said Gary Courts, Dominion Energy’s general manager of new gas business development. “We’re using the power of innovation to make our energy cleaner and our farms more sustainable than ever before. With renewable natural gas, everyone wins. It’s good for the environment and our planet. It’s a huge win for the farmers, and it’s around-the-clock renewable energy for consumers.”
Using a technology known as anaerobic digestion, the projects will capture and process methane from large clusters of Smithfield’s company-owned and contract hog farms.
As part of the process, manure from hog barns would be transferred by underground pipe to an adjacent covered lagoon, known as an anaerobic digester. Naturally occurring bacteria within the digester breaks down the solids over the course of 6‐12 months, generating organic fertilizer and methane. That methane is then pumped to a central facility, where it is processed to meet standards as a renewable natural gas able to be distributed in the existing system.
Unlike solar and wind, manure-to-energy projects produce power 24/7 and a new revenue stream for farmers who now take significant costs in manure management, Westerbeek said.
“Renewable natural gas is going to allow them to invest in digesters and turn that manure — that major cost driver — into a revenue stream,” Westerbeek noted earlier this month to county officials. “Farmers can choose to invest or not to invest. We feel like the investment we’re offering is very attractive.”
Westerbeek didn’t disclose specific dollars and cents, but noted an “attractive return on investment that would return their money in a very reasonable amount of time.”
The renewable energy produced through the venture will not only assist in fulfilling initiatives set to reduce North Carolina’s greenhouse gas emissions, the production and sale of renewable natural gas through Align will also provide family farmers with an additional source of revenue.
Those family farmers are “incredibly important” to the project, Westerbeek attested.
“This project is providing an incredible opportunity to turn one of our largest cost drivers — manure management — into a new revenue stream,” said Terry Tate, manager of DM Farms of Rose Hill and a Smithfield contract grower. “Working with Dominion Energy and Smithfield on this project was an easy choice. I’m proud to be part of an initiative that is improving both the viability and durability of our farms while benefiting the local community with a renewable energy source.”
Senator Brent Jackson (R-Sampson) and Ray Starling, general counsel at the NC Chamber and former USDA chief of staff, were among the many dignitaries present at Thursday’s announcement, along with Sampson County Friends of Agriculture president Ronnie Jackson, local Cooperative Extension director Eileen Coite and others, including N.C. Reps. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin) and William Brisson (R-Bladen), whose district includes Sampson.
“Dominion Energy and Smithfield are supporting the growth of agriculture in North Carolina, the state’s leading industry,” said Dixon. “This project forecasts an exciting shift in the role that farmers play by providing opportunities within the energy sector that expand their capabilities and improve their bottom line.”
Dixon said the venture not only improves, but “economically enhances” the manure management system. He said family farms help feed the world.
“That’s what family farms do, but they cannot do it from the courtroom,” said Dixon, lauding a forward-thinking venture that he said promotes economic stewardship, while keeping the family farmers in mind. “These two industries and this project have my full support, especially as a farmer in North Carolina. This is a win-win-win-win.”
Brisson said the venture was a bright light on the horizon.
“We know where we’ve been lately,” he said, alluding to nuisance lawsuits targeting hog farms, “but we’re glad about where we’re going.”
“This project will drive innovation, promote sustainability and create economic value for our family farmers,” said Westerbeek.
For more information about Align RNG, visit alignrng.com.
