California Bioenergy LLC (CalBio), a developer of dairy digesters that generate renewable electricity and vehicle fuel in California, has formed a new partnership with agricultural cooperative Land O’Lakes Inc.
The collaboration will support the financing, installation and management of on-farm methane digesters to generate renewable compressed natural gas (R-CNG) fuel in California. According to the partners, this will create a farmer-led model for “barn to biogas,” shaping nationwide solutions to agricultural methane emissions reduction and unlocking new revenue streams for dairy farmers.
The partnership will also help Land O’Lakes dairy member-owners in California meet new state standards that call for a 40% reduction in dairy and livestock manure-related methane emissions from 2013 levels by 2030.
“Land O’Lakes and CalBio are creating the end-to-end sustainability infrastructure that farmers need to make ‘barn-to-biogas’ a reality,” states Matt Carstens, senior vice president of Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN. “This is impact-investing at its best – eliminating barriers to the adoption of new sustainability technology, unlocking new revenue streams for farmers, cutting emissions and creating a public good.”
“CalBio’s dairy digesters are proven in California. We are excited to expand that work even further through this collaboration with Land O’Lakes and their member-owners in California,” adds Neil Black, president of CalBio. “Our expertise and ongoing operational support will help dairy farmers make the most of a significant new revenue stream through biogas generation while allowing them to stay focused on doing what they do best – producing wholesome, delicious food in a sustainable way.”
Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN recently launched Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN Innovation Financing, which offers eligible member-owners up to $3 million in financing for large-scale sustainability projects, including methane digesters.
