SUMTER, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, GreenGasUSA and Pilgrim’s Pride announced the commissioning of a renewable natural gas (RNG) project at Pilgrim’s poultry processing facility in Sumter, South Carolina. Leadership from both companies were joined by representatives of Governor Henry McMaster’s and U.S. Representative Ralph Norman’s offices, as well as members of the local business community to celebrate the collaboration and the dedicated investment in renewable energy technologies in the state of South Carolina. The project is expected to inject RNG into the pipeline by the end of the month.
At the Pilgrim’s Sumter processing facility, GreenGas is building upon existing methane capture capabilities and investment to convert biogas from wastewater streams, upgrading the biogas to pipeline quality RNG. The collaboration is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the Sumter facility while improving wastewater operations, as well as local air and water quality. GreenGas CEO and Founder Marc Fetten commented, “This project represents another significant win for South Carolina agriculture and industry and our environment. It is a demonstration of industries coming together and leading our collective journey into a lower carbon future while creating economic and environmental benefits for our communities. The renewable energy produced at this project is enough to power almost all the homes of the entire workforce working at the Pilgrim's Sumter plant, and is produced from what, until recently, was simply a waste stream.”
The Sumter RNG project is the first operational site under a strategic partnership between the two companies focused on the adoption of circular economy technologies and repurposing of waste streams into renewable energy. South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers commented, “Projects like the collaboration between Pilgrim’s Pride and GreenGasUSA at the Sumter facility enable participation from the agricultural sector in the circular economy. I am encouraged that South Carolina has emerged as a hub for partnerships that leverage the expertise and practices of traditional industries – like farming – to produce high-quality renewable energy products.” GreenGasUSA and Pilgrim’s Pride parent company JBS are currently developing and constructing additional RNG projects located at processing facilities across the U.S.
“Pilgrim's is committed to embedding sustainability in our business," said Pilgrim's CEO Fabio Sandri. "Our partnership with GreenGasUSA in Sumter is a prime example of how Pilgrim's can implement innovative solutions to reduce our GHG footprint and unlock value for our business. Given these efforts, we can strengthen America's food supply and create a better future for our communities where we operate."
About GreenGasUSA: GreenGasUSA partners with global businesses to help reduce their environmental footprint by producing renewable natural gas and other renewable products, like carbon dioxide (CO2), clean water, and agricultural nutrients. GreenGasUSA’s wastewater and engineering experts design and permit comprehensive biogas solutions including, biogas capture, anaerobic digestion, gas flaring, compression, transportation, and pipeline injection. GreenGasUSA has operational RNG facilities at agricultural and food processing sources across the country, with proven success in installing, commissioning, and operating gas upgrading equipment; RNG and CO2 product compression and transportation; and existing pipeline injection infrastructure. GreenGasUSA’s existing assets and partnerships with sustainability leaders are helping to shape the renewable energy landscape by offering solutions to customers dedicated to bettering the environment. GreenGasUSA has six operational RNG facilities, and one CO2 facility, and is actively developing additional RNG and CO2 facilities across the U.S.
GreenGasUSA is majority owned by the IFM Net Zero Infrastructure Fund (“IFM NZIF”). IFM NZIF is an open-ended fund, managed by IFM Investors, which targets essential infrastructure assets that seek to accelerate the world’s transition to a net-zero emissions economy.
About Pilgrim’s Pride: As a global food company with more than 62,000 team members, Pilgrim's processes, prepares, packages, and delivers fresh, frozen, and value-added food products for customers in more than 100 countries. The company operates protein processing plants and prepared foods facilities in 14 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.K, the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe. For more information, please visit www.pilgrims.com.
