Vanguard Renewables has opened an anaerobic digestion facility in River Falls, Wisconsin, expanding the company’s capacity to process food and beverage waste into renewable natural gas across the Midwest.
The facility, located at Peterson Family Dairy in Pierce County, can process up to 275 tons of food and beverage waste per day and will generate 289,000 MMBtu of renewable natural gas annually. This output is sufficient to power approximately 53,000 homes and businesses each year, according to the company.
The site provides food and beverage manufacturers, retailers and processors across the Minneapolis-St. Paul region with organic waste recycling services that address increasing regulatory pressure in both Wisconsin and Minnesota. Both states are advancing policies including Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and commercial organics diversion requirements.
“Vanguard Renewables gives food and beverage companies a turnkey solution to simplify organics recycling and reduce risk,” said Kent Bartley, president of Organic Solutions at Vanguard Renewables. “We combine deep industry expertise with full-service capabilities, from managing logistics with our own fleet to providing real-time data for compliance and reporting.”
Advanced depackaging capabilities
The River Falls facility features advanced depackaging technology capable of handling both bulk and packaged food and beverage products. The site is currently processing more than 50 waste streams from over 30 customers in the region.
The anaerobic digestion process converts food waste into renewable energy, creating a circular solution that diverts organic materials from landfills while generating usable fuel. The renewable natural gas produced at the facility will supply AstraZeneca’s U.S. research and manufacturing facilities, supporting the pharmaceutical company’s emissions reduction commitments.
This represents Vanguard Renewables’ second location in Wisconsin, joining an operational site in Eden that serves the Milwaukee area. The expansion increases the company’s ability to serve food and beverage manufacturers and retailers throughout the Midwest.
Located on a fourth-generation farm, the facility demonstrates a model for integrating renewable energy production with agricultural operations. Vanguard Renewables specializes in building, owning and operating on-farm anaerobic digesters that convert food, beverage and agricultural waste into pipeline-ready renewable natural gas.
The facility provides manufacturers with logistics management through Vanguard Renewables’ own fleet and offers real-time data tracking for compliance and reporting purposes. The company positions these capabilities as addressing the operational challenges food and beverage companies face in managing organic waste streams.
The River Falls facility is currently accepting new material from food and beverage companies.
