TotalEnergies has initiated construction on the Oakmulgee Dairy Farm renewable natural gas (RNG) project in Amelia Court House, Virginia, in partnership with Vanguard Renewables, part of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), under BlackRock. This project aims to produce over 259,000 million British thermal units (MMBtu) of RNG annually using an anaerobic digester, which will process more than 105,000 tons of food and beverage waste each year, diverting it from landfills and incineration. The RNG generated will be used to power AstraZeneca’s biopharmaceutical facilities in Maryland, supporting their commitment to sustainable energy solutions.

In April 2024, TotalEnergies and Vanguard Renewables formed a 50-50 joint venture to expand RNG projects across the United States, with 10 projects already in development. These initial projects are expected to yield a combined annual RNG capacity of 0.8 TWh (2.5 billion cubic feet, or 2.5 million MMBtu). Looking ahead, the companies are exploring a potential pipeline of approximately 60 more RNG projects nationwide.

Marc de Lataillade, Vice President of Biogas at TotalEnergies, expressed enthusiasm for breaking ground on the Oakmulgee project, which he said demonstrates TotalEnergies' commitment to advancing the biowaste-to-RNG market in the U.S. "This project in Virginia, along with others under construction in Wisconsin and Minnesota, underscores our ambition to lead in the rapidly growing renewable gas market," he noted.

Neil H. Smith, CEO of Vanguard Renewables, highlighted the collaboration with the Moyer Family at Oakmulgee Dairy Farm as a transformative step in sustainable agriculture. He emphasized that converting unsellable food waste and dairy cow manure into renewable gas not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also creates a renewable energy source that benefits both the environment and local communities.

The Oakmulgee Dairy Farm project represents a significant step in TotalEnergies' and Vanguard Renewables' efforts to expand RNG production in the United States, providing an environmentally friendly solution by repurposing methane and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This initiative supports TotalEnergies' broader vision to lead in renewable gas production while partnering with local farms to create sustainable and community-focused energy sources. As the Oakmulgee project takes shape, it stands as a model for further RNG projects planned by the partnership, helping to advance the renewable energy landscape in the U.S.

Vanguard Renewables, headquartered in Weston, Massachusetts, is a leading company in transforming food and dairy waste into renewable energy. The company develops, owns, and operates on-farm anaerobic digester facilities primarily in the northeastern U.S., with three additional sites currently under construction in the Midwest and South. With a goal to operate over 100 anaerobic digestion facilities nationwide by 2028, Vanguard Renewables is dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural and food waste sources, generating renewable energy, and promoting regenerative agriculture on partner farms through its Farm Powered® anaerobic digestion model. Vanguard Renewables is part of the portfolio of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), under BlackRock.