The HNEI research team of Sharon Chan, Robert Williams, and Scott Turn, completed an assessment of biorenewable resources and their potential for renewable natural gas (RNG) production in Hawai‘i. Funded under the Energy Systems Development Special Fund, this study supports the State’s growing interest in utilizing biorenewable resources across energy sectors.
The objective of this study was to explore bioresources for biological or thermochemical conversion to produce RNG in Hawai‘i. Existing sources of biogenic methane in Hawai‘i and biomass resources used as the carbon feedstock for RNG production are also discussed. RNG has the potential to directly displace incumbent fossil energy products (substitution) or to be part of a retrofit or new equipment package that would displace both the fossil fuel and end-use conversion technology.
The full technical report is available at https://www.hnei.hawaii.edu/wp-content/uploads/Resources-for-Renewable-Natural-Gas-Production-in-Hawai‘i.pdf.
