CenterPoint Energy has signed an agreement to purchase waste-created renewable natural gas and provide it to its customers across Minnesota. That gas will come from organic food and yard waste in the Twin Cities, as well as waste from farms and wastewater treatment facilities. The waste will be processed and converted to renewable natural gas by Dem-Con HZI Bioenergyâs new facility in Shakopee, set to open in 2027.
âRenewable natural gas turns what could be thrown out into a locally produced fuel,â said Joshua Solis, CenterPoint Energy spokesperson. âItâs developed by recycling waste from farms, food scraps, wastewater treatment, yard clippings and other sources.â
At the Shakopee facility, the food and yard waste collected in the Twin Cities will be put in an oxygen-free tank and go through a process known as anaerobic digestion. After a 15- to 60-day âdigestionâ period, the renewable natural gas thatâs produced will be distributed to CenterPoint, and then sent on to customers. That can happen through injection into natural gas pipelines.