SUMMARY

Divert, which uses wasted food as feedstock for RNG, plans to take its technology across the US and into Canada. [Image credit: Divert]

By Dale Lunan

Canadian energy infrastructure company Enbridge said March 1 it had invested C$80mn into Divert, a US company which diverts wasted food into renewable natural gas (RNG) production, and joined with it in a US$1bn infrastructure development agreement.

“The infrastructure development agreement with Enbridge marks a major turning point in the battle against the wasted food crisis,” Divert co-founder and CEO Ryan Begin said. “For 16 years, Divert has been at the forefront of efforts to prevent wasted food nationwide and this new funding will serve as a catalyst to address this pervasive problem at scale.”

As a major North American energy infrastructure company, he said, Enbridge will play a “critical role” in the development of Divert’s technology and infrastructure.

The agreement will accelerate Divert’s expansion of anaerobid digestion facilities that convert wasted food into RNG, potentially offsetting up to 400,000 metric tonnes/year of CO2. It plans to scale its facilities to every major geographic region in the US, with a goal of being within 100 miles of 80% of the US population in the next eight years. It will also explore new wasted food to RNG facilities in Canada.