Efficiency Is the New Profit: Inside Biogas Technology’s Innovation Wave

Written by Zoë Astill, BiogasWorld

In the evolving landscape of renewable natural gas (RNG), one thing is becoming clear: the next wave of growth won’t be driven by subsidies; it will be driven by technology.

Across the biogas value chain, companies are using intelligent systems, modular designs, and data-driven tools to boost efficiency, reduce operational costs, and secure long-term profitability. In BiogasWorld’s recent webinar, “The US Biogas & RNG Market: Navigating 2025 and Beyond,” experts such as @Alain Leblanc, VP Enclosed PowerTrain Packaging, @abb; @Prabhu Rao, CEO of Ivy’s Adsorption; @Scott.McKay,  Product Lead – AD Systems, @Fournier Industries; and John Dinneen, Waste-to-Energy Leader,  @meadhunt discussed how technology is fundamentally reshaping the economics of RNG production in the U.S. RNG market.

Process Efficiency & Power Management

For many developers, operational expenditure (OPEX) and power consumption are the biggest ongoing challenges. With RNG facilities running 24/7, even minor inefficiencies can cascade into significant energy waste and reduced carbon credit generation.

ABB’s intelligent drive systems and energy optimization solutions are designed to address this directly. By monitoring and adjusting motor speed and torque in real time, ABB’s technology can achieve up to 25% energy savings, a game-changer for facilities operating on tight margins.

Power consumption has a direct impact on the cost of running an operation, which makes choosing the right and properly sized equipment essential to operations. Using high-efficiency motors in the system offers a direct reduction in electricity consumption. Even more significant energy savings can be achieved by adding a variable frequency drive to the powertrain.

A variable frequency drive matches motor speed with the actual demand of the process and reduces the energy consumed by the motor. Therefore, the system operates more efficiently, especially for operating points at partial loads. Adding a variable frequency drive to the motor system results in substantial energy savings[i]. In the example of a fan, reducing the rotating equipment speed by 20% can reduce input power requirements by approximately 50%.

Despite this opportunity, in the US, on average, only 16% of industrial motor systems use variable frequency drives. Adding a variable frequency drive to electrification systems optimizes energy consumption and allows for smoother start-ups and better lifetime reliability of the motor-driven system, which positively impacts the OPEX of the system.

These smarter systems also enhance asset longevity by reducing mechanical stress, meaning less downtime and lower maintenance costs. As the carbon intensity (CI) of RNG becomes a key revenue factor, efficient energy use doesn’t just save money; it creates value through better CI scores and more lucrative credit generation.

Design & Modular Innovation

While energy management tackles ongoing costs, design innovation is addressing capital expenditure (CAPEX) and scalability.

 Ivys Adsorption, known for its BioStream™ upgrading systems, has reimagined how biogas upgrading fits into smaller and distributed projects. Its compact PSA systems and hydrogen reformers allow developers to deploy high-efficiency gas purification in facilities with limited space. This not only reduces the physical footprint but also simplifies installation and integration, enabling faster commissioning and lower total project costs.

Alongside Ivys, Fournier Industries is redefining equipment efficiency at the heart of the digestion process. Founded in 1960, Fournier began in the mining sector before expanding into wastewater and renewable energy. The company is renowned for its Fournier Rotary Press, a low-energy solid-liquid separation system widely used in wastewater and RNG plants across North America and Europe. Now, Fournier is applying the same innovation mindset to one of the largest components in agricultural and wastewater biogas applications: the anaerobic digester. Its new High Performance Digester (HPD) features a revolutionary design and provides a measurable leap in efficiency. 

This leap in efficiency not only boosts gas yield but also helps operators maximize capacity without expanding plant footprint, an increasingly valuable advantage as the RNG sector pursues both sustainability and profitability.

Complementing this approach, Kingsbury’s* modular construction philosophy takes efficiency beyond equipment, into the entire plant design. Prefabricated modules mean fewer on-site variables, shorter project timelines, and a more controlled manufacturing process. As a result, RNG developers can standardize quality while accelerating deployment, which is essential for meeting the growing demand for renewable gas.

Smarter Operations: Data, AI & Integration

Efficiency doesn’t end at commissioning; it evolves with data.

As digitalization takes hold across the energy sector, AI-driven monitoring, predictive maintenance, and digital twins are becoming standard tools for optimizing performance. These technologies provide operators with live insights into plant conditions, identifying potential issues before they cause downtime.

In the context of RNG, predictive tools can adjust feedstock loading, optimize pressure and temperature levels, and even forecast maintenance cycles, helping operators maintain continuous uptime and stable gas quality.

Beyond the scope of the webinar, it’s clear that the integration of cybersecurity and AI in the biogas industry isn’t optional; it’s becoming foundational. With increasing automation and remote management, protecting operational data and digital assets ensures long-term stability and investor confidence. With more companies developing their capabilities to produce predictive analytics with the integration of AI, we expect to see more robust projects, capable of pivoting with changing policies, feedstock availability and market trends. As this technology develops, there will be challenges and opportunities surrounding various aspects of the plant, including data management, security and energy consumption.

Efficiency Equals Longevity

The biogas sector has always been driven by a dual mission: environmental progress and economic viability. But as incentives phase down and competition intensifies, efficiency has become the bridge between the two.

By investing in energy optimization, modularity, and intelligent data systems, companies like ABB, Ivys Adsorption, Fournier, Mead & Hunt, and Kingsbury are proving that efficiency isn’t just a technical metric; it’s a business strategy. It ensures lower operating costs, more consistent production, and resilience against market fluctuations. In today’s RNG landscape, efficiency truly equals longevity, and the companies leading this innovation wave are setting the benchmark for sustainable profitability.

Coming next: In our next article, we’ll explore the impact of domestic production requirements on project developers, the reality of these policies, and how manufacturers are adapting to the challenge. 

Want more insights? Check out the webinar here: US Biogas & RNG Market: Navigating 2025 & Beyond