South Carolina energy company wants to convert manure from prison farms into natural gas | Business

A Charleston-based renewable energy company is planning a partnership with the SC Corrections Department on a recycling agreement that will supply natural gas to companies including BMW Production in the Upstate and Mercedes-Benz Vans in North Charleston.

GreenGas USA wants to take manure from a 7,000 acre dairy farm with 1,200 cows next to Wateree Correctional Facility in Rembert and converts it into renewable fuel for industrial use. Wateree provides inmate labor for the cattle herd and farm, and the proposal also calls for up to 35,000 tons of food scraps from the Sumter County Jail to be mixed into the gas-producing waste.

The proposal received preliminary approval from the state last week Joint Bond Review Committeewhich sees energy production as an incentive to attract large industries.

“From an economic point of view, companies are crying out for renewable energy,” said Marc FettenFounder and CEO of GreenGas, which has five facilities in the Carolinas. “Frankly, we’re desperate for sources.”

The GreenGas method uses large-scale anaerobic digesters – sealed, oxygen-free tanks that break down agricultural waste, unusable crops or other organic material into methane gas, the main component of natural gas. The otherwise harmful methane is captured in the digester and converted into natural gas, which is then fed into a pipeline that companies can use.

Wateree’s digester will have a capacity of about 1 million gallons and will be built on a 4.5-acre site on leased land owned by the farm. Food from the state’s prisons will be transported to the site in sealed containers.

“Instead of going to the landfill, (the food) is taken to the Wateree facility where it is mixed with the farm manure,” Fetten said.

GreenGas has proposed investing $14.5 million in the project, and the company plans to share 50 percent of the net profits with the correctional agency.

GreenGas would also pay $100,000 annually for use of the property over a 20-year lease period.

“It means money for the state,” Bryan StirlingDirector of the Department of Corrections, told the legislative committee: “This means that the waste that is lying around, from cow manure to chicken meat and food, will be sold and become renewable energy for large companies.”

It’s an economic development tool because I know these companies are coming here looking for it.”

Sen. Katrina Shealya Republican from Lexington, called the proposal “the best thing we’ve heard today.”

“It’s a win-win situation,” Shealy said. “We get rid of the cow manure, generate energy and do something useful in the prison.”

GreenGas also announced last week a partnership with Oakwood, Georgia-based Wayne Sanderson Farms to produce renewable natural gas at some of the company’s poultry processing sites. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Meets all requirements

A Dutch online seller of used shipping containers has opened its North American headquarters on the Charleston Peninsula, a move expected to create more than 25 jobs over the next five years.

EveonThe Cigar Factory’s office at 701 East Bay Street will house the company’s marketing and customer service departments.

“As we toured various cities, Charleston stood out for the strategic importance of its port, the emerging digital corridor and its distinctive charm,” Aad StormCEO of Eveon Containers, said in a written statement. “These factors were instrumental in establishing our foundation and opening our headquarters here. As part of our expansion, we have moved our customer service team from the Northeast to Charleston to ensure that the Southern hospitality typical of the Lowcountry is delivered to our customers across the country.”

The move is part of Eveon’s expansion into the United States and Canada. The company offers 24/7 purchasing options for used shipping containers that businesses, educational institutions, government agencies and others can use for sustainable building, transportation and storage.

The company was founded in 2020 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Harry LightseyHead of SC Ministry of Commercesaid Eveon’s “innovative reuse of used shipping containers … shows what is possible with a commitment to sustainability.”

The company said the operation is already online.