JBS signs partnership in the US to transform renewable natural gas production
In an effort to lead the way in sustainable transformation by example, JBS is taking a comprehensive approach to reducing its own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while also helping to empower its value chain to move forward collectively. One of JBS’s key strategies to reduce its emissions is to adopt circular economy technologies to repurpose and transform animal waste into renewable energy.
"This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to sustainable food production. Innovative solutions that reinforce the circular economy and reduce emissions are essential to address the global challenges of food security and climate change", said Gilberto Tomazoni, Global CEO of JBS.
The partnership will expand JBS’ methane capture capacity and maximize biogas production. By installing GreenGasUSA’s gas purification systems at production sites, biogas collected from JBS’ wastewater streams will be purified into pipeline-quality renewable natural gas, enabling end users to replace fossil fuels. The insertion of renewable natural gas into existing energy pipelines will offset greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 60 million miles driven by a car, or 27,000 tons of coal burned, annually.
The project will begin with initial installations at JBS’s facilities in Grand Island, Nebraska, and Hyrum, Utah; and at Pilgrim’s facility in Sumter, South Carolina. The collaboration is expected to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at these facilities, while improving wastewater treatment operations and local air and water quality, and supporting the renewable energy market through the distribution of renewable natural gas. The project at Pilgrim’s Sumter facility is expected to be completed in early 2025, while the Grand Island and Hyrum projects are expected to be completed in late 2025.
"At JBS and Pilgrim’s, we are committed to reducing the impact of food production by partnering with stakeholders to reduce our carbon footprint. This collaboration with GreenGasUSA is a perfect example of these efforts", said Wesley Batista Filho, CEO of JBS USA. “This innovative approach takes what was once an unused byproduct of food production and converts it to offset a significant amount of fossil fuels. This process can be a model for the rest of the industry to follow".
In addition to the partnership with GreenGasUSA, JBS has initiated more than 25 projects worldwide since 2019 to eliminate, or capture and destroy, methane emissions from organic waste ponds at JBS facilities. On a global scale, these actions to destroy and/or recover methane from anaerobic waste treatment systems have resulted in the reduction of more than 600,000 tons/year of greenhouse gases, equivalent to the emissions produced by an average vehicle that would circle the Earth 193,000 times.
In Brazil, Friboi has already invested R$54 million in a bioenergy project
In Brazil, JBS has made progress in implementing sustainable technologies by installing methane capture systems at nine Friboi units. Through effluent treatment, this initiative has enabled the generation of more than 100,000 cubic meters of biogas per day, exceeding initial expectations. With an investment of R$54 million, the project not only increases biogas production but also contributes significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reaffirming the company's commitment to environmental sustainability.
Seara has encouraged the installation of biodigesters on integrated pig farms. Biodigesters are concrete structures covered with tarpaulin that stimulate the fermentation of organic matter, releasing the gas produced through the fermentation of waste. It is a type of bubble that stores methane gas that will be transformed into fuel used by generators to produce electricity on the farm.
In Australia, JBS invests R$35 million in biogas projects
JBS Australia has recently started operating an advanced bioenergy system at its Beef City facility in Toowoomba, Queensland. The system captures biogas produced naturally during the treatment of effluents and organic waste from industrial operations to replace up to 10,000 cubic meters of natural gas per day, resulting in an annual reduction of approximately 34,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. This is one of two projects completed by JBS this year, with a total investment of $11.1 million, equivalent to approximately R$35 million, contributing to a total reduction of 57,000 tons of CO₂ across its operations in the country. The first project to come on stream this year was in Scone, New South Wales, where the bioenergy system reduces approximately 23,000 tons of CO₂ annually.
The new system involves installing covers on lagoons, allowing the capture and reuse of biogas as an energy source for production. In addition to significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the partial replacement of natural gas with biogas represents a substantial saving in Beef City’s operating costs.
Brendan Tatt, Chief Operating Officer for JBS Australia’s Northern division, says the project exemplifies the company’s focus on investing in renewable infrastructure and sustainability projects. "It’s a win-win project that reuses a naturally occurring byproduct to replace a significant volume of natural gas, which is great for both cost management and emissions reduction", Tatt says. "It’s our commitment to innovative projects like this that will ensure Beef City remains competitive and an important pillar of our community for another 50 years", he concludes.
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