What Is Bioenergy Devco About?

Bioenergy Devco is a global leader in the design, engineering, construction, financing, and operation of advanced anaerobic digestion facilities focused on creating renewable natural gas and healthy soil products from organic material. The company was founded in 2012 by Shawn M. Kreloff in Delaware, with the goal of developing projects that divert waste from landfills and convert it into sustainable clean energy. The company’s mission is “accelerating zero waste, tackling climate change, creating a circular economy and developing regional biorefineries.”

Bioenergy Devco aims to help create localized, circular economies with their advanced anaerobic digestion technology that sustainably converts organic material into renewable energy and soil products. Through strategic partnerships, the company develops, designs, builds, operates, and finances anaerobic digestion facilities across the globe.

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Technology

Bioenergy Devco utilizes anaerobic digestion technology to convert organic material into renewable energy and healthy soil products. Anaerobic digestion is a natural process in which microorganisms break down organic matter in an oxygen-free environment, producing biogas and digestate.

The biogas generated can be cleaned and turned into renewable natural gas (RNG), which can be used to power vehicles or generate electricity. The nutrient-rich digestate can be used as a soil amendment or fertilizer (Bioenergy Devco – Anaerobic Digestion).

Bioenergy Devco has developed an advanced anaerobic digestion design called “High Solids Anaerobic Digestion” (HSAD) that can process a wide variety of feedstocks at up to 35% solids content. This allows more organic material to be processed in a smaller footprint compared to traditional wet anaerobic digestion systems.

In addition to anaerobic digestion, Bioenergy Devco is also exploring other bioenergy technologies like gasification that can convert organics and waste into energy (Bioenergy Devco – Renewable Energy). The company is focused on developing innovative and sustainable solutions for organic waste streams.

Projects

Bioenergy Devco oversees several major anaerobic digestion projects across multiple states. Their flagship project is the Bioenergy Innovation Center located in Jessup, Maryland. This 11,500 ton-per-year anaerobic digestion facility began operating in 2021 through a partnership between Bioenergy Devco, HG Energy, and Bates Trucking & Trash Removal. The plant processes poultry litter and food waste into renewable natural gas and an organic fertilizer.

Other key Bioenergy Devco projects include:

A 4,000 ton-per-year anaerobic digester facility in Fruitland, Maryland launched in 2020, processing poultry manure and food waste.

The Milford Anaerobic Digester in Delaware, currently under development, with an 11,500 ton-per-year capacity to process food waste into renewable natural gas.
A cluster of projects across multiple states through the joint venture Envira Biogas, including a 5,000 ton-per-year digester in Bordentown, New Jersey.

Bioenergy Devco partners with local stakeholders, businesses, and governments to build customized anaerobic digestion solutions that meet community needs and divert organic waste from landfills.

Environmental Benefits

Bioenergy Devco’s anaerobic digestion facilities provide significant environmental benefits by reducing waste and generating renewable energy (https://bioenergydevco.com/renewable-energy/).

The anaerobic digestion process is carbon-negative, meaning it reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to landfilling organic waste. Organic materials like food scraps and yard waste produce methane when they decompose in landfills. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Anaerobic digestion captures these emissions and converts the methane into renewable biogas energy (https://bioenergydevco.com/).

By diverting organic waste from landfills, Bioenergy Devco’s facilities reduce methane emissions by over 22,000 metric tons per year. The biogas generated can be used in place of fossil fuels to power homes, businesses, and vehicles. This displaces carbon dioxide emissions from burning coal, oil, and natural gas.

Overall, anaerobic digestion facilities like Bioenergy Devco’s create environmental benefits on both sides of the equation – reducing waste emissions and generating clean, renewable energy.

Funding and Investors

Bioenergy Devco has received significant funding from major investors to support its growth and expansion of anaerobic digestion facilities. In March 2023, the company secured a $30 million investment from Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc. (HASI), a leading investor in climate solutions infrastructure [1]. This funding will enable Bioenergy Devco to accelerate project development across North America.

Previously in 2021, Bioenergy Devco raised an undisclosed amount of growth capital from Irradiant Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on lower middle market companies. This positioned the company for continued growth in developing, building, and operating anaerobic digestion projects that recycle food waste into renewable natural gas and organic fertilizers [2].

With the backing of these major investors, Bioenergy Devco has established itself as a leading developer of anaerobic digestion facilities that create sustainable resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food and other organic wastes.

Leadership Team

Bioenergy Devco was founded by a team of experienced biogas industry professionals including Shawn Kreloff, Austen Caputo, and R. McClain Porter. Kreloff serves as CEO and has over 25 years of experience in renewable energy project development and finance. Caputo is Chief Technology Officer and heads up the company’s anaerobic digestion technology and engineering. Porter is Chief Commercial Officer and leads the commercialization of BDC’s projects.

Other key executives include Patrick Serfass, Executive Vice President who oversees project development, and Michael Greene, Chief Investment Officer who leads financing and fundraising efforts. According to the company’s website, “The executive team has vast experience in renewable energy project development, design, construction, finance, and operations – making BDC a fully integrated biogas project developer.” ^[1]

With decades of combined expertise in anaerobic digestion and renewable energy, BDC’s leadership team is poised to drive growth in turning waste into energy.

Partnerships

Bioenergy Devco has formed key partnerships with several organizations to help advance their mission of deploying anaerobic digestion facilities. One major partnership is with Exelon Corporation, Baltimore Gas & Electric and the Maryland Energy Administration. Together they are developing an anaerobic digestion facility in Anne Arundel County, Maryland that will convert poultry litter into renewable natural gas. This project won the 2023 Innovative Partnership Climate Leadership Award (bioenergydevco.com).

Other notable partnerships include working with Perdue Farms to develop anaerobic digesters that can convert poultry litter to energy at their facilities (wastedive.com). Bioenergy Devco also partners with equipment manufacturers, engineering firms, gas utilities, and other companies to successfully develop, build, and operate anaerobic digestion projects.

Awards and Recognition

Bioenergy Devco has received recognition from industry organizations for its innovative projects and partnerships. In 2023, Bioenergy Devco won the Innovative Partnership Climate Leadership Award from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) for its work with Exelon Corporation, Baltimore Gas & Electric and the Maryland Energy Administration on the Maryland Bioenergy Center-Jessup (https://bioenergydevco.com/blog/bioenergy-devco-wins-the-2023-innovative-partnership-climate-leadership-award/). This award recognized the successful collaboration between the public and private sectors to develop an innovative waste-to-energy project.

Also in 2023, Bioenergy Devco’s Maryland Bioenergy Center-Jessup project was named Top Project of the Year by Environment + Energy Leader (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bioenergy-devco-receives-top-project-of-the-year-award-from-environment–energy-leader-301881185.html). This award recognized the project as an exemplary leader in the energy industry for its sustainable waste management and renewable energy production.

Future Plans

Bioenergy Devco is actively working to expand their anaerobic digestion facilities and increase renewable energy production. According to their website, they plan to build over 300 anaerobic digestion facilities to process food waste and generate renewable natural gas and electricity. This aligns with their strategic goal of accelerating the development of organic waste recycling infrastructure across North America.

Some of their upcoming projects include building new anaerobic digestion facilities in New England, California, Canada, and other regions to continue tackling the food waste crisis. The company aims to divert 20 million tons of food and organic waste from landfills annually by 2030 through these new facilities.

Bioenergy Devco also plans to develop partnerships with additional waste collection companies, food manufacturers, retailers, and municipalities to secure incoming feedstock for their digestion facilities. They want to make organic waste recycling and renewable energy generation the new standard for communities across North America.

Conclusion

In summary, Bioenergy DevCo is a pioneering company at the forefront of creating renewable natural gas from organic waste. Their innovative anaerobic digestion technology provides an eco-friendly solution to convert organic material into biogas and high-quality fertilizers.

By diverting waste from landfills and transforming it into renewable energy, Bioenergy DevCo helps combat climate change and advances the transition to a circular economy. Their projects across the United States are enabling cities, universities, and industrial organizations to achieve sustainability goals and make measurable impacts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

With a talented leadership team and impressive list of partners and investors, Bioenergy DevCo is positioned for further growth and success. Their work developing renewable natural gas facilities is crucial for promoting cleaner energy and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. As climate change continues to threaten communities worldwide, the mission-driven work of companies like Bioenergy DevCo will only increase in importance.