The Van Ess Project
The Van Ess renewable natural gas (RNG) project in Sanborn, Iowa, includes the construction of two side-by-side anaerobic digester tanks at the Van Ess Dairy Farm in O’Brien County. The manure from this farm will produce renewable natural gas each year. After the project is complete, the biogas generated by this manure will be captured, cleaned, and converted into RNG, which can be used for transportation fuel, industrial heating, and a host of other applications. Van Ess is part of the third tranche of projects developed under the Brightmark RNG Holdings LLC joint venture with Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
“This project has been a goal since our family relocated our dairy business to Iowa. We strive to be good neighbors and stewards of the environment, and we're looking forward to our anaerobic digestor contributing to the community and the farm.”
– Jeremy Van Ess, Family Owner/Operator, Van Ess Dairy and Legacy Dairy
“This project has been a goal since our family relocated our dairy business to Iowa. We strive to be good neighbors and stewards of the environment, and we're looking forward to our anaerobic digestor contributing to the community and the farm.”
– Jeremy Van Ess, Family Owner/Operator, Van Ess Dairy and Legacy Dairy
Project Benefits
GHG Reductions
The Van Ess project is anticipated to prevent greenhouse gas emissions each year.
Resource Recovery
Recovering and processing manure from the farms will prevent excess emissions from escaping into the local air and water.
Waste To New Products
The facility will generate renewable natural gas per year and biofertilizer, digested dairy fiber for use as cow bedding or as a peat moss substitute, and reclaimed irrigation water.
Partners
In October 2020, Brightmark LLC and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. originally announced the formation of the Brightmark RNG Holdings LLC joint venture to own projects across the United States to produce and market dairy biomethane, a renewable natural gas. Equity investments by each company in the new venture fund construction of infrastructure and commercial operation of dairy biomethane projects in multiple states. Chevron purchases RNG produced from these projects and markets the volumes for use in vehicles operating on compressed natural gas.
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