Brightmark RNG Holdings delivered first gas at the Minnehaha, S.D.-based Athena Project, according to a press release on Aug. 3.

The project captures methane generated from manure from Boadwine Farms, Pioneer Dairy and Mooody Dairy farms in South Dakota to be cleaned and converted into a renewable natural gas (RNG) called dairy biomethane. The RNG will then be injected into the local interstate pipeline system, as well as be used for transportation, cooking or electricity.

Brightmark RNG Holdings is a joint venture partnership between Chevron U.S.A. Inc., a subsidiary of Chevron Corp., and Brightmark Fund Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Brightmark LLC.

"Achieving first gas at the Athena Project marks another major milestone as Brightmark continues to scale and expand our RNG production footprint throughout the country," Brightmark founder and CEO Bob Powell commented in the release.

"Through our collaboration with Chevron and Lynn Boadwine, owner of Boadwine Farms, Pioneer Dairy and Mooody Dairy, we believe the Athena Project further demonstrates the transformative economic and environmental benefits of partnering with our country's essential farmers to reduce and offset lifecycle carbon emissions," he continued.

As the first ever dairy RNG project in South Dakota, the Athena Project is anticipated to produce approximately 55.6 million gallons of manure each year.

“These renewable natural gas projects are not only designed to capture methane that is currently emitted to the atmosphere and repurpose it as a valuable transportation fuel with lower lifecycle carbon intensity, but they also support our commitment to meeting our customers’ growing demand for lower carbon fuel solutions,” Chevron's president of Americas fuels and lubricants Andy Walz added.