Vanguard Renewables, a portfolio company of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, 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.
