Anaergia Facility Gets First Cross-Border Negative Carbon Score Approval

A US-based bioenergy facility has become the first of its kind to receive a negative carbon intensity approval under Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulations, marking a notable step in cross-border clean fuel accounting.

The Rhode Island Bioenergy Facility (RIBF), operated by a subsidiary of Anaergia Inc., has been granted a temporary negative Carbon Intensity (CI) score by Canada’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The approval allows the facility’s renewable natural gas (RNG) production to generate credits under Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulations.

A negative CI rating means the fuel is assessed as having a net climate benefit over its lifecycle. In this case, the facility earns that classification because it captures methane from organic waste that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere from landfill decomposition.

The Rhode Island Bioenergy Facility, located in Johnston, is the largest anaerobic digestion plant in New England. It processes more than 100,000 tonnes of organic waste per year, including food scraps, and converts it into renewable natural gas, recycled water, and nutrient-rich by-products used in agriculture.

According to the company, the facility can help avoid more than 40,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions annually by diverting waste from landfill methane pathways. Methane is a significantly more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over shorter time horizons, making its capture a key lever in near-term emissions reduction strategies.

Anaergia Inc. said the approval validates its technology approach, which focuses on converting organic waste streams into low-carbon fuels and circular economy outputs.

The decision is also significant because it represents the first time a US-based RNG facility has been recognised under Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulations framework, potentially opening the door for broader cross-border participation in low-carbon fuel credit systems.

Renewable natural gas projects like this are increasingly seen as a transitional solution in hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy transport and industrial heat, where direct electrification remains challenging.

The approval remains temporary, but it signals growing alignment between North American regulatory systems on carbon accounting for waste-derived fuels.