Sapphire to transport CNG from California farms

Sapphire Gas Solutions has a contract to transport biomethane from landfills to traditional gas pipeline networks.

Sapphire Gas Solutions was recently awarded the transportation and logistics contracts for seven farm-based renewable natural gas operations in central California.

“Our entry into the RNG market, as a solutions provider, is a huge step for Sapphire. It is exciting to enter the renewable natural gas space with an experienced industry leader like Maas Energy,” said Sam Thigpen, CEO of Sapphire Gas Solutions.

Biomethane is a renewable methane collected from animal waste and landfills. The collected biomethane is processed and delivered to an existing natural gas utility’s infrastructure, supplementing traditional gas supply with a more carbon neutral energy source.

“We are excited to bring more dairies into the CNG space and are looking forward to working with Sapphire on this new alternative for transporting renewable CNG,” said Geovany Osorio, MMW Director, Maas Energy Works. Maas owns the digesters from which Sapphire will transport the gas.

As in many cases, the farms in central California are not connected to local gas pipeline infrastructure. This created a need to compress and deliver the renewable natural gas to pipeline systems in the vicinity, via tractor trailer. Sapphire’s solution was to utilize CNG fueled transportation to provide this service, thus further reducing the operation’s carbon footprint.

The digester processes the gas from the manure and then pressures it to 3600 psi, when it is moved onto CNG trailers that Sapphire moves to the pipeline network or the local utility distribution network.

Typically, these digesters use electric drive compressors, which can stop and start more readily than gas-fueled compressors. A dairy farm can produce anywhere from 100 to 400 Mcf/d, depending on its size, meaning that Sapphire trucks CNG from the site to the utility every one to two days.

Sapphire Gas Solutions, based in Conroe, Texas, is a portfolio company of Dallas, TX based, BP Energy Partners. Sapphire provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) solutions to industrial, utility, manufacturing, and other end use applications across the United States. BP Energy Partners, LLC (BPEP), is a Dallas, Texas based growth-oriented private equity firm.