Vanguard Renewables Breaks Ground on its First Organics-to-Renewable Gas Facility in Virginia
AMELIA COURT HOUSE, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Vanguard Renewables, a portfolio company of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, today held a groundbreaking ceremony for its newest renewable natural gas project at The Moyer Family’s Oakmulgee Dairy Farm in Amelia Court House, VA. The farm, owned by Larkin Moyer, a fourth-generation dairyman, along with his sons Brandon and Jeremy and is the oldest continuously operating family dairy in the Commonwealth.
Vanguard Renewables is a leading builder, owner, and operator of organics-to-renewable natural gas facilities in the United States. The Company is expanding across the U.S. and currently has seven operational facilities, three under construction, and plans to begin construction on multiple additional sites by the end of the year. The Farm Powered anaerobic digester at Oakmulgee Dairy Farm, will produce more than 259K MMBtu/year of renewable gas and divert over 105K tons of food and beverage waste from landfill or incineration yearly.
The project will be constructed and operated by Vanguard Renewables and is part of a recently announced joint venture between Vanguard Renewables and TotalEnergies, a global integrated energy company, to develop, build and operate Farm Powered renewable natural gas projects across the United States.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Moyer Family who are truly building the farm of the future, to bring this transformative technology to life,” said Neil H. Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Vanguard Renewables. “By converting inedible and unsalable food and beverage waste and dairy cow manure into renewable gas, we are not only reducing greenhouse gas emissions and repurposing methane for good, but also creating a sustainable energy source that benefits both the environment and local communities.”
The centerpiece of this trailblazing initiative at Oakmulgee Dairy Farm is this state-of-the-art Anaerobic Digester system that will recycle organic materials into renewable gas that is upgraded on-site and injected into the nation’s existing pipeline infrastructure. The renewable natural gas produced at this site in Virginia will go on to fuel AstraZeneca’s Maryland biopharmaceutical production facilities.
“We are pleased with Vanguard Renewables’ strong growth momentum and continued expansion throughout the United States, including this latest renewable natural gas project formed through the company’s joint venture with TotalEnergies,” said Doug Vaccari, Managing Director, Global Infrastructure Partners, a part of BlackRock.
“It is a great development for the 5th District economy to harness more American energy right in our own backyard, at one of Virginia’s oldest dairy farms, Oakmulgee Dairy Farm in Amelia,” stated United States Congressman Bob Good. “It is a privilege to stand with the Moyer family as they embark on this new project in our community.”
The collaboration between Vanguard Renewables, the Moyer Family, TotalEnergies, and AstraZeneca exemplifies the potential for cross-industry partnerships to drive positive environmental changes and reduce carbon emissions.
“We are excited to see the Oakmulgee Dairy Farm project break ground, which materializes the ambition TotalEnergies has with our market-leading partner Vanguard Renewables to accelerate the development of food biowaste processing into renewable natural gas in the United States,” said Marc de Lataillade, Vice President, Biogas at TotalEnergies. “This project in Virginia, and two others currently under construction in Wisconsin and Minnesota, are part of a promising potential pipeline of projects that will support TotalEnergies’ ambition to be a leader in the fast-growing renewable gas market.”
“We have not shied away from the advances made in the dairy industry, and today is proof of my family’s commitment to a greener future,” stated Larkin Moyer, Owner, Oakmulgee Dairy Farm. “We have embraced innovation as key to preserving our family farm. In addition to our partnership with Vanguard Renewables, we have a ground mount solar array that powers all our farms electrical needs – from robotic milkers to heating and cooling our barns – to further reduce our own carbon footprint. We are also proud members of Dairy Farmers of America, the largest dairy cooperative in the United States.”
In addition to purchasing the renewable gas produced at Vanguard Renewables’ Farm Powered sites to decarbonize its thermal load in the United States, AstraZeneca announced in November of 2023 an expanded partnership between the two companies that would leverage its global industrial-scale manufacturing and digital capabilities to boost U.S. renewable gas productivity at Vanguard’s sites.
“At AstraZeneca, we recognize that accessing clean sources of heat to manufacture our medicines is a critical part of decarbonizing our value chain. Our innovative partnership with Vanguard Renewables in the U.S. exemplifies our commitment to large-scale collaboration to advance sustainable science and facilitate the transition to net-zero healthcare and a circular economy,” said Liz Chatwin, VP of Global Sustainability at AstraZeneca.
Vanguard Renewables’ decade-long history of working with American dairy farmers is core to the company’s success and its commitment to support multi-generational dairy farms around the country. The Company’s farm based anaerobic digesters provide farm partners with a dedicated income stream from a 20-year+ land lease. The byproducts of the anaerobic digestion process are returned to the farm in the form of low-carbon, nutrient dense digestate used as biofertilizer and bedding for the farm’s herd.
This process creates a virtuous cycle – from farm to manufacturer and back to the farm. By harnessing the power of food and beverage waste and the farm’s manure, Vanguard Renewables is working to decarbonize the planet – one farm at a time – from coast to coast.
For more information about Vanguard Renewables, TotalEnergies, and AstraZeneca’s commitment to renewable energy, please visit their respective websites.
About Vanguard Renewables
Vanguard Renewables, based in Weston, Massachusetts, is a national leader in developing food and dairy waste-to-renewable energy projects. The Company builds, owns, and operates on-farm anaerobic digester facilities in the northeast and has three sites under construction in the Midwest and South. Vanguard Renewables plans to expand nationwide to more than 100 anaerobic digestion facilities by 2028. Vanguard Renewables is committed to advancing decarbonization by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farms and food waste, generating renewable energy, and supporting regenerative agriculture on partner farms via Farm Powered® anaerobic digestion. Vanguard Renewables is a portfolio company of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock. To learn more visit: www.vanguardrenewables.com
TotalEnergies in the United States
Operating in the United States since 1957, TotalEnergies is present across the entire U.S. energy value chain from exploration and production, renewables, refining and petrochemicals to trading and marketing activities. With a business footprint across 35 states and half of our institutional investors based in this country, the U.S is a key market for TotalEnergies to deploy our multi-energy strategy focused on delivering low cost, low emission hydrocarbons and providing integrated power solutions to offer clean firm energy to U.S. customers.
TotalEnergies and Biogas
TotalEnergies is a leading company in the European biogas segment with production capacity of 1.1 TWh. The Company aims to become a major player in this segment across several key markets, particularly in Europe and the United States by joining forces with leading partners such as Clean Energy and Vanguard Renewables. It is active across the entire value chain, from project development to marketing of this renewable gas and its byproducts, including biofertilizers and bioCO2.
About TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to provide as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations.
Cautionary Note
The terms “TotalEnergies”, “TotalEnergies company” or “Company” in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. TotalEnergies SE has no liability for the acts or omissions of these entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies’ financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Contacts
Vanguard Renewables
Billy Kepner
+1 607-331-9806
bkepner@vanguardrenewables.com
TotalEnergies
Marie Maitre l Head of External Relations U.S.
Marie.Maitre@TotalEnergies.com
