Renewable Natural Gas

This is a 90 minute webinar featured four expert speakers on the subject of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). The workshop covered topics such as technical and economic feasibility of anaerobic digestion along with gasification technologies for RNG production. A national overview of renewable natural gas needs and capacity was discussed and the role of RNG and decarbonization. The climate benefits of renewable natural gas, RNG carbon footprint and life cycle analysis were presented.

Cost: free of charge but everyone must register first using this link

Click here to watch re-posted video

Original workshop webinar date: Wednesday September 30, 2020

Co-Hosts: Gas Technology Institute and Energy Institute at Colorado State University

Welcome and opening remarks: Joe von Fischer, Professor, Department of Biology, Colorado State University Joe von Fischer PPT slide deck

Introduction and background: Kristine Wiley, Executive Director, GTI Hydrogen Technology Center, Gas Technology Institute Kristine Wiley PPT slide deck

Presentation on anaerobic digestion: Sybil Sharvelle, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University Sybil Sharvelle PPT slide deck

Presentation on gasification: Andy Kramer, Senior R&D Director, Energy Supply & Conversion, VP of Engineering, SunGas Renewables, Gas Technology Institute Andrew Kramer PPT slide deck

Facilitated open discussion: Joe von Fischer, Professor, Department of Biology, Colorado State University

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Joe von Fischer
Professor
Department of Biology
Colorado State University

Joe von Fischer is a professor in the Department of Biology who studies how the function of ecosystems is structured by the interactions among humans, plants, the soil and soil microbes, with particular focus on how these factors influence the emissions of greenhouse gases like methane. Joe’s research seeks to characterize the physical and biological diversity of systems that give rise to micro-sites with exceptional influence on overall system function. Joe’s lab maintains two primary research areas. One is the study of how biological diversity among the bacteria that consume methane within soils leads to spatial and temporal patterns in soil methane fluxes. The other is in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund to use Google Streetview Cars to measure the leakage rate of natural gas from urban distribution systems around the country.

Kristine Wiley
Executive Director
GTI Hydrogen Technology Center
Gas Technology Institute

As the Executive Director of GTI’s Hydrogen Technology Center (HTC) Kristine Wiley works across the organization to synchronize deep industry knowledge and technical expertise as well as large scale labs and test facilities to integrate the use of hydrogen into the energy system. Addressing economy wide decarbonization, the HTC brings together public-private partnerships to facilitate R&D to enable clean hydrogen generation, transport, storage and utilization at scale while leveraging the existing robust energy infrastructure to facilitate the transition to a low-carbon future. Kristine’s career spans nearly two decades at GTI. Prior to her current role, she served as an R&D Director responsible for GTI’s Environmental, Risk, and Integrity Management programs. With a focus on reducing environmental impacts, she led collaborative research directly working with industry to develop solutions for the detection and mitigation of methane emissions from natural gas operations. At GTI she has held positions of increasing responsibility managing research addressing utility operations and environmental compliance to advancing the use of low-carbon fuels such as renewable natural gas. Kristine holds a BA in Biological Sciences from the University of Chicago as well as an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Sybil Sharvelle
Professor
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Colorado State University

Dr. Sybil Sharvelle is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and is a member of the Environmental Engineering focus area. Her research interests include water reuse (graywater and reclaimed water), integrated urban water management, and waste conversion to energy. Sybil contributes to the CSU Institute for Livestock and Environment with the goal of finding practical, economical solutions to minimize environmental impacts from the livestock industry. Dr. Sharvelle received a Ph.D. from Purdue University, where her research involved design and optimization of a biotrickling filter for simultaneous treatment of graywater and waste gas. A major component of this research effort was to examine the fate of surfactants in the biotrickling filter. While pursuing a M.S. in Civil Engineering at the University of Colorado, Dr. Sharvelle optimized the nitrification and denitrification steps in a biological processor for treatment of wastewater highly concentrated with ammonia.

Andy Kramer
Senior R&D Director, Energy Supply and Conversion
VP of Engineering, SunGas Renewables
Gas Technology Institute

Mr. Kramer is responsible for all aspects of the operation and maintenance of GTI’s pilot-scale gasification and related facilities including the Flex-Fuel Test Facility (FFTF), the Advanced Gasification Test Facility, and associated fuel-feeding, gas feeding, syngas cleaning, conditioning and end-use facilities. Mr. Kramer has over 18 years of experience in the design, installation and operation of advanced, high pressure, high temperature gasification, carbon capture, and syngas conversion to liquids systems in support of development and commercialization of new energy conversion technologies. Operating experience includes various gasification technologies such as, fluidized-bed, entrained-bed slagging, and partial oxidation of natural gas in research gasifiers up to 5 MWth input operated with a variety of coal, petcoke, biomass, and natural gas feedstocks. Additional design and operational experience in acid gas removal using GTI’s proprietary “Morphysorb” physical solvent, and Haldor Topsoe’s syngas to liquids conversion process TIGAS. Major clients have included the U.S. Department of Energy, Synthesis Energy Systems, ANDRITZ Carbona, Aerojet Rocketdyne (foremerly Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne), ExxonMobil and Haldor Topsoe.

*****************************Workshop Co-Hosts****************************************