GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - - Two major companies are partnering to produce renewable natural gas at a central Nebraska plant.

According to a news release, JBS and GreenGasUSA have announced a new partnership that includes the JBS plant in Grand Island.

By installing GreenGasUSA’s on-site gas upgrading systems, biogas collected from the wastewater streams of JBS facilities will be purified into pipeline-quality renewable natural gas, allowing end users to displace fossil fuel usage. In Grand Island, this partnership is expected to displace the emissions equivalent to 28 million miles driven by an average gas-powered vehicle. This renewable natural gas will be injected into a regional gas pipeline.

“At JBS and Pilgrim’s, we’re committed to reducing the impact of food production by partnering with stakeholders to reduce our carbon footprint. This collaboration with GreenGasUSA is a perfect example of these efforts,” said Wesley Batista Filho, CEO of JBS Foods USA. “This innovative approach takes what was once an unused byproduct of food production and transforms it to offset a significant amount of fossil fuels. This process can be a model for the rest of the industry to follow.”

The Grand Island project is slated for completion at the end of 2025.