Shell New Energies, a subsidiary of the energy company Shell, has started production at its first renewable natural gas (RNG) plant in the United States.

The new plant at Junction City, Oregon takes manure and other agricultural residues from local farms and uses it to produce biomethane. It can output some 736,000 MMBtu (metric million British thermal units) of RNG each year, and the gas will be offered in compressed form as fuel for road transport that is heavy duty.

Shell has a long history in the oil and gas industry, and while it plans to continue traditional oil and gas production at a lower level to produce fuels and lubricants like slideway oil for industry, it is looking to become a net-zero business by the middle of the century. In addition to the Junction City plant, Shell is planning two similar plants in Plains, Kansas and Wendell, Idaho. It remains to be seen if similar projects will be seen in the UK given the difference in agricultural systems.

Shell’s Executive Vice President for sectors and decarbonisation, Carlos Maurer, said about the product:

“Biomethane has a significant role to play in the energy transition and this achievement advances our strategy as we work to reduce emissions from the fuels and other energy products we sell. We are excited to offer renewable compressed natural gas as a low carbon fuel choice for our customers.”

The company says that using RNG instead of fossil fuels can cut the associated carbon emissions by 50% to 100%.