Upon combustion, RNG can be carbon neutral or even carbon negative.  It is extremely versatile and interchangeable with natural gas and compatible with the U.S. pipeline infrastructure.¹

It can be directly used in a variety of ways:

• In homes and businesses
• In manufacturing and heavy industries
• For electricity production
• As an alternative fuel for transportation 

According to the American Gas Association, “RNG is derived from biomass or other renewable resources and is a pipeline-quality gas that is fully interchangeable with conventional natural gas.”  It originates from organic waste material such as food, lawn and garden clippings, woody biomass and more. Wastewater treatment plants and landfills are some of the biggest sources of organic waste, which are the building blocks for the creation of biogas. Many key sources of biomethane are non-hazardous landfills, dairies, wastewater treatment plants and other organic sources. 

“Raw biogas has a methane content between 45 and 65 percent, depending on the source of the feedstock, and must go through a series of steps to be converted into RNG. Treatment includes removing moisture, carbon dioxide (CO2) and trace level contaminants (including siloxanes, volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and hydrogen sulfide), as well as reducing the nitrogen and oxygen content. Once upgraded, the gas has a methane content of 90 percent or greater. Typically, RNG injected into a natural gas pipeline has a methane content between 96 and 98 percent.” 

One of the most attractive features of RNG is that it can be introduced and provide emissions reductions projects without necessitating upgraded or new equipment by the end-user¹

RNG provides a variety of benefits in addressing climate change.

RNG can:

• Provide benefits when RNG is used as transportation fuel ²
• Reduce greenhouse gases by capturing methane that would have vented into the atmosphere ²
• Be stored and used at any time while other clean energy sources depend on fluctuating factors like sunshine and wind
• Be transported utilizing the same highly reliable and extensive pipeline infrastructure

RNG can provide environmental benefits when RNG is used as transportation fuel. ³

• In the D.C. metropolitan area, heavy-duty vehicles including trucks, buses and refuse haulers, powered by diesel account for a significant share of GHG emissions.
• RNG in heavy-duty vehicles has the potential to reduce GHG emissions, and when coupled with the newest natural gas engine technology, can also help achieve drastic reductions in nitric oxide (NOx) emissions.
• For every 1,000 heavy-duty natural gas vehicles powered by RNG that displace diesel consumption in the D.C. metropolitan area, ICF estimates GHG emission reductions of 20,000–25,000 metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent.
• Heavy-duty trucks, transit buses and refuse haulers running on compressed natural gas (CNG) reduce GHG emissions by about 10–20% compared to their diesel counterparts.
• The introduction of RNG amplifies these emission reductions by four to five times.
• Substituting RNG for CNG amplifies these emissions reductions by four to five times (on a direct GHG emission accounting basis)

RNG can reduce greenhouse gases by capturing methane that would have vented into the atmosphere.

• Food waste is often sent to a landfill where methane is released or burned (e.g., turned into carbon dioxide) which enters the atmosphere. To produce RNG, these gases are captured and cleaned rather than being released directly into the atmosphere.  
• RNG can be stored and used at any time while other clean energy sources depend on fluctuating factors like sunshine and wind.

RNG can directly replace traditional fossil fuels utilizing the same pipeline infrastructure.

• “RNG combusts similarly to fossil natural gas, so pipeline operators make no distinctions between the two once the RNG meets the required specification and is injected into the pipeline network.” ⁴

Yes! Hydrogen can be generated via steam methane reforming (SMR), a common technology in use across the US today. By utilizing RNG, this existing SMR technology will meet, if not exceed, the US Department of Energy’s definition for Clean Hydrogen ^3,5

In the future, a carbon-negative Clean Hydrogen may be generated from RNG via a methane pyrolysis process, a processing technology,⁶ which has no carbon-dioxide emissions, is currently being supported by the US DOE.

Upon combustion, RNG can be carbon neutral or even carbon negative.  It is extremely versatile and interchangeable with natural gas and compatible with the U.S. pipeline infrastructure.³

Provide emission reduction benefits when RNG is used as transportation fuel³

Reduce greenhouse gases by capturing methane that would have vented into the atmosphere³

Washington Gas welcomes customers using RNG as a tool to help address climate change.. The ability for Washington Gas to supply RNG depends on a variety of factors. Please email us at RNG@washgas.com and someone from our Business Development Team will get back to you to discuss your RNG needs.

Please email us at RNG@washgas.com and someone from our Business Development Team will get back to you to discuss your RNG needs.

Washington Gas’ first RNG interconnection project is currently under construction at the WSSC Piscataway Waste Water Treatment Facility in Maryland. The RNG interconnect will be complete as part of the larger bioenergy project at the Piscataway facility.  Learn more about the Piscataway project.