Cornerstone Announces New BioCNG Alternative Vehicle Fuel System

Cornerstone Environmental Group, LLC announced that its new BioCNG™ alternative vehicle fuel system is up and running. The patent-pending biogas conditioning system economically produces biogas-based fuel to power compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. The first full scale project, at Rodefeld Landfill, in Dane County, Wisconsin, began operations in March 2011.

The landfill's BioCNG vehicle fueling station will operate in conjunction with an existing landfill gas electrical generation system. The BioCNG system will fuel site vehicles, with the potential to expand to supply fuel to waste trucks and other county vehicles.

"The BioCNG system is the first truly economic use for small quantities of biogas," said Richard A. Peluso, PE, President of Cornerstone. "This system provides a simple technology for private industries and municipalities to produce their own vehicle fuel at a fraction of the cost of gasoline or diesel and get similar or better engine performance."

BioCNG can be produced from a variety of biogas sources, including landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and agricultural and food waste digesters. The fuel can be used in vehicles that are manufactured or converted to use CNG vehicle fuel.

The basic BioCNG system uses 20 to 200 scfm of biogas to produce 100 to 1,000 gasoline gallon equivalents (GGE) of BioCNG per day and can be expanded if necessary. After cleaning and conditioning, BioCNG fuel meets SAE J 1616 and engine manufacturers' fuel specifications. It can be used directly or mixed with natural gas to produce a blended vehicle fuel. The cost of installing a BioCNG system depends upon actual site conditions, but is expected to be substantially less than earlier systems developed to convert biogas to CNG vehicle fuel.