Innovating to preserve the energy in wasted food

An image from Divert Inc.'s facility at Freetown, MA. Divert has been at the forefront of efforts to prevent wasted food across the United States since 2007.

Beneficial for many people

March 22, 2023

When you’re ready to toss those leftovers whose time has come, think about how they might reappear in a very different form—biogas.

Biogas is a renewable fuel that’s produced from anaerobic digestion of organic matter. For this to take place, the waste material needs to be enclosed in an environment where there is no oxygen.

Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is upgraded pipeline-quality biogas derived from organic waste from farms, forests, landfills, and wastewater treatment facilities. The gas is captured, cleaned, and injected in pipelines to be used to power homes, businesses, and even vehicles.

Biogas has traditionally been used to produce small amounts of on-site electricity. However, larger-scale projects that inject RNG into transmission and distribution networks are increasing, as cleaner energy demand grows.

On March 1, Divert Inc., a Massachusetts-based company, announced a $1 billion infrastructure agreement with Enbridge, the owner and operator of Line 5. The investment will support development of facilities across North America to convert food waste to RNG.

Innovation makes new sources of energy possible

“We’re really excited about working with Divert,” said Caitlin Tessin, Enbridge’s Vice President of Strategy and Market Innovation. “We see a great deal of benefit, and this historic collaboration helps tackle two important issues—wasted food and greenhouse gas emissions.”

 

“We see a great deal of benefit, and this historic collaboration helps tackle two important issues—wasted food and greenhouse gas emissions.”

—Caitlin Tessin, Enbridge’s Vice President of Strategy and Market Innovation

“Divert has emerged as a leader in creatively managing and protecting the value of food and our partnership aligns with Enbridge’s priorities in pioneering RNG as an effective solution to achieve net-zero and bring cleaner energy to those that need it the most,” Tessin explained.

Innovation can also help protect the Great Lakes and its people

For many, anticipation is also on the horizon for construction of the Great Lakes Tunnel project in the Straits of Mackinac.

Placed deep below the lakebed of the Straits, the concrete tunnel will house a replacement section of Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline. The Tunnel will eliminate the chance of an anchor strike to Line 5 and essentially eliminate the chance of a release into the waterways—an example of an innovative idea leading to practical solutions.

“That’s the very definition of being innovative,” said Tessin. “The ability to conceive, develop, deliver, and scale new products and services for people is one of the things that our team does best.”