Brightmark and Chevron Achieve First Gas Milestone with Florida's Largest Family Dairy

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Aug 23, 2023, 08:00 ET

Larson Family Farm's Okeechobee Site Marks the First Renewable Natural Gas Project in Florida for the Venture

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Brightmark RNG Holdings LLC, a joint venture partnership between Chevron U.S.A. Inc., a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX), and Brightmark Fund Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Brightmark LLC, announces the delivery of the first renewable natural gas (RNG) from its Larson Project in Okeechobee County, Florida. The Larson Project is comprised of four lagoon anaerobic digesters located at Larson Family Farms. This marks the joint venture's inaugural RNG project in the state and builds on the joint venture's extensive network of projects across the U.S. to produce dairy RNG for lower carbon intensity transportation fuel.

Larson Family Farms, Okeechobee County, Florida

Bob Powell, Founder and CEO of Brightmark (center) and the Larson Family, Okeechobee County, Florida

The Larson Project captures methane from cow manure through the process of anaerobic digestion and converts it to renewable natural gas. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), the second most abundant GHG, and is responsible for roughly 17.3% of global emissions.

The produced RNG is used as transportation fuel and the remaining solids are transformed into organic fertilizer. In addition, recaptured water returns directly to the farm or site where the digester is located for reuse. The project delivers several environmental benefits, such as odor mitigation and air quality, soil stabilization, and nutrient control, improves the economics of dairy farming, and reduces the carbon intensity of agricultural practices.

"This 'first gas' milestone with Larson Family Farms is a testament to the power that a circular solution like anaerobic digestion has to dramatically reduce methane emissions and promote economic development in local communities," remarked Bob Powell, Founder and CEO of Brightmark. "Our collaboration with Chevron and Larson demonstrates the continued growth of the RNG market propelled by the agricultural and food waste industry."

"We are excited to achieve this milestone in our first joint renewable natural gas project in Florida with Brightmark and a notable farming family," said Nuray Elci, general manager of renewables in Chevron's Americas Products business. "These projects support production of affordable and reliable energy and help accelerate lower carbon solutions."

Brightmark aims to reduce GHG emissions and achieve significant improvements in water quality by adopting economically viable technologies and practices throughout the industry. Brightmark recently reached a substantial company milestone, reducing more than 500,000 tons of CO2eq through its RNG portfolio of nearly 30 projects across 40 farms nationwide. With this project, Brightmark is able to reduce over 57,000 tons CO2eq from being released into the atmosphere every year. That is equivalent to planting over 75,000 acres of forest every year.

"Our continued partnership with Brightmark demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of this project for it to be sustainable and beneficial to farmers like us," stated Woody Larson, Founding Rancher, Family Tree Enterprises (owner of Larson Family Farms). "The value of the RNG produced balances the offsets associated with production while maintaining the health of the farm and its animals."

For more information on Brightmark's renewable natural gas projects, please visit here.

About Brightmark
Brightmark, LLC is a circular innovation company with a mission to Reimagine Waste, developing solutions that make a positive environmental impact on the world and communities where it operates. Brightmark's established anaerobic digestion and proprietary plastics renewal technologies make the company a veteran in a burgeoning marketplace. The company works across sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation to decarbonize operations, displace reliance on virgin fossil fuels, and solve circularity challenges at scale.

Committed to systems change in waste, Brightmark works collaboratively to address gaps where traditional methods fall short through its innovative closed-loop approach to recycling and renewables. To date, Brightmark has repurposed more than four million pounds of landfill-bound plastics and reduced more than 500,000 tons of CO2eq from the atmosphere through anaerobic digestion. The company is also deeply committed to conservation, education, and sustainability career training by partnering with local and national organizations that help protect land and oceans. For more information, visit www.brightmark.com.

About Chevron 
Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies. We believe affordable, reliable, and ever-cleaner energy is essential to enabling human progress. Chevron produces crude oil and natural gas; manufactures transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, and additives; and develops technologies that enhance our business and the industry. We aim to grow our traditional oil and gas business, lower the carbon intensity of our operations, and grow new lower carbon businesses in renewable fuels, hydrogen, carbon capture, offsets, and other emerging technologies. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

SOURCE Brightmark