Biogas sites
Biogas is generated by the decomposition of organic material at landfill sites, anaerobic digesters and other waste facilities – and demand for it is growing rapidly. In bp’s Energy Outlook 2022, biogas grows more than 25-fold from 2019 to 2050, in both the Accelerated and Net Zero scenarios.
Through our joint ventures, bp owns operating facilities in California, Michigan, Oklahoma and Tennessee that capture methane from waste to produce renewable natural gas (RNG) — or “biogas” — for the US transportation sector.
Find out how RNG is made
Archaea Energy
In December 2022, bp acquired Archaea Energy Inc., a leading producer of renewable natural gas (RNG) in the US. Based in Houston, Texas, Archaea Energy operates around 50 RNG and landfill gas-to-energy facilities across the US, producing around 7,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) of RNG.
Its production is expected to provide an immediate 50% increase to bp’s biogas supply volumes, and Archaea has a development pipeline of more than 80 projects that underpin the potential for around five-fold growth in RNG production by 2030.
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Reducing emissions across sectors
Agriculture accounts for nearly 10% of US greenhouse gas emissions, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Capturing methane from farm waste can lower these emissions.
The process begins with anaerobic digestion, which involves microorganisms breaking down biodegradable material in a closed system called a digester. One of the end products is biogas, primarily methane, which can be processed into RNG and used to fuel vehicles.
RNG-fueled vehicles are estimated to result in up to 95% lower emissions than those fueled by gasoline or diesel on a lifecycle basis, according to a US Department of Energy study.