By james art 
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation has completed its $22 million renewable natural gas (RNG) facility at Full Circle Dairy (FCD) in Lee, Florida.
The facility, a full-scale RNG operation to convert dairy manure into a pipeline, is expected to produce an average of 100,000 dekatherms per year. It began producing RNG in June 2024 and is expected to capture and divert more than 1,100 metric tons of methane annually into a renewable energy source equivalent to powering 3,500 homes for a year.
FPU Renewables, a subsidiary of Florida Public Utilities (FPU), built and operates the RNG facility in Madison County, which has produced and injected over 18,000 dekatherms of RNG since June.
RNG is transported by Marlin Gas Services, a subsidiary of Chesapeake Utilities, through a virtual pipeline to an injection point in July, Florida, and distributed to customers in Nassau County, Florida.
“The RNG facility at FCD is a great example of our ability to leverage our expertise across the entire energy supply value chain – from generation to virtual pipeline transport, injection, transmission and distribution – while supporting our strategic focus on prudent capital deployment, Jeff Householder, chairman, president and CEO of Chesapeake Utilities, said in a statement. “We share FCD’s commitment to innovative approaches that lead to a more sustainable future for customers and our local communities.”
RNG carries the same energy density qualities as natural gas methane, but with a lower carbon profile. It can also help mitigate environmental hazards from methane released into the air in landfills and the decomposition of organic materials.
Environmentalists report that methane emissions are many times more harmful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Major energy customers such as AstraZeneca and Microsoft are pursuing deals to supply RNG to power manufacturing and data centers.