Raven SR Inc. received unanimous approval from the Richmond City Council for a California Environmental Quality Act permit for Raven’s first organic waste-to-hydrogen bioenergy project, the company announced in a May 24 press release.

When completed, the project is expected to redirect up to 99 wet tons of food waste per day from Republic Services’ closed West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill into Raven’s non-combustion steam/CO2 reforming process, according to the release. This redirection process is anticipated to produce up to 2,400 metric tons per year (mt/year) of renewable hydrogen.

“The project will economically benefit the Richmond community by supplying local gas stations with clean, zero-carbon hydrogen fuel for fuel cell vehicles and creating new green jobs, including 100-150 construction positions," said Matt Murdock, CEO of Raven SR.

In addition to helping to fulfill the state’s SB 1383 mandates, which requires education and outreach on organics recycling, the process will potentially avoid approximately 7,200 (mt/year) of CO2 emissions from the landfill.

Eduardo Martinez, Richmond’s mayor, said the city is excited to embark on this collaborative, green energy journey, and “the message that we are sending today is, Richmond is serious about addressing climate change and serious about providing solutions and alternatives to dirty jobs."

The Wyoming-based Raven SR is a company transforming biomass into renewable fuel. It is led by co-founders Murdock and Matt Scanlon.