This episode for the Manufacturing News Network (MNN) features a Member Spotlight of Grant Gibson, Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer of Synthica Energy. In this conversation, you will learn how Synthica takes in industrial byproducts or organic waste streams from all different types of manufacturers and runs them through an anaerobic digestion process to produce biomethane, which is renewable natural gas.
Grant Gibson, Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer of Synthica Energy shares his insights with MNN host Jason Moss on how industrial byproducts or organic waste streams can be converted into RNG (Renewable Natural Gas).
Topics will include:
Grant Gibson
About Synthica Energy
Synthica Energy is an anaerobic digestion development company bringing organics-to-energy facilities to underserved markets across the U.S. The company’s mission is to facilitate the diversion of pre-consumer organic waste away from landfills, abate the associated methane emissions, and convert the organic material into renewable natural gas (RNG). In doing so, Synthica aims to provide industrial manufacturers with a greener outlet for their organic waste and North American utilities with reliable access to RNG. The company focuses on “urban-friendly digestion,” incorporating multiple layers of odor control technology to minimize local impact. As a result, Synthica expects its facilities to seamlessly coexist in communities producing high amounts of organic waste. To learn more, visit www.synthica.com.
Who should attend:
Competitive Manufacturing Leaders who want to understand how they can reduce waste cost and help the environment
If you have any specific questions you would like covered during this session, email them to support@georgiamanufacturing.com
00:00:08:24 - 00:00:37:03
Jason Moss
Welcome to Manufacturing News Network. My name is Jason Moss, and I'm the founder of the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance. And we're really excited today to be talking with Grant Gibson. Grant is the co-founder and chief development officer for one of our newest members in GMA, a company called Synthica. We had an opportunity to meet several months ago. We co-hosted The Greener Manufacturing Show in Atlanta, and we've done that for the past two years.
00:00:37:05 - 00:00:53:17
Jason Moss
And a mutual friend of ours kind of did a quick introduction in the hallway. I had noticed that Synthica Logo was sponsoring a couple of parts of that big event here in Atlanta. And I was really excited to be able to get to meet Grant. He told me a little bit about what was going on. One thing led to another.
00:00:53:19 - 00:01:14:05
Jason Moss
He found out about, you know, what we do at GMA. And he said, Man, I want to be a part of that. And I'm like, Man, we really want to be a part of what you guys are doing in Georgia. So I'm excited to have you here with us and to be able to help all of our members in GMA get to know you a little bit better and learn a little bit about what you do because what you do is pretty unique in the space.
00:01:14:05 - 00:01:21:18
Jason Moss
So Grant, if you would, tell us just a little bit about yourself and then tell us a little bit about Synthica and what you guys do.
00:01:21:20 - 00:01:52:16
Grant Gibson
Yeah. Jason, thanks for having me and having Synthica as part of the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance. Yeah. So a little bit about myself. I'm co-founder and chief Development officer with Synthica Energy. We are a developer of anaerobic digestion facilities across the United States. What does that mean? We take in what we call industrial byproducts or organic waste streams from all different types of manufacturers.
00:01:52:16 - 00:02:31:08
Grant Gibson
So food, beverage, different types of call it oleo chemicals or organic chemicals that produce a byproduct that are organic in nature. We take those byproducts which are considered waste. We take those waste and run them through an anaerobic digestion process, which is really the really just the breakdown of of organic materials in the absence of oxygen. So we break it down and then in the last part of the digestion process, we produce biomethane and biomethane, obviously with the name methane in it, it is very trace levels of carbon.
00:02:31:10 - 00:02:52:05
Grant Gibson
And so what you end up with is when you take that raw biomethane and you call it clean it up or upgrade it, we end up producing renewable natural gas. Renewable natural gas is actually a direct replacement for natural gas burns, the same as the same heat value. So then we inject to local utilities or pipelines.
00:02:52:11 - 00:02:52:16
Grant Gibson
Okay.
00:02:52:16 - 00:03:02:04
Jason Moss
So renewable natural gas, that's one of the things as I was, our energy is kind of a that's what you hear on the street. That's what that how that fits.
00:03:02:04 - 00:03:06:00
Grant Gibson
Right right. Yeah, absolutely. Orange year renewable natural gas.
00:03:06:03 - 00:03:17:02
Jason Moss
Okay And that can be used in industry across the there's not any difference right between that and the natural gas as far as the use and thus industrial application. Right.
00:03:17:08 - 00:03:45:00
Grant Gibson
Correct. Yeah. So, if we have a certain spec or specification that we have to hit in regard to the quality and the purity of the renewable natural gas that we produce. So when we do upgrade it from raw biomethane into renewable natural gas and then we inject it into a pipeline or at local utility pipes, anyone in the region or that is a direct consumer of natural gas can burn that renewable natural gas just the same.
00:03:45:00 - 00:03:53:15
Grant Gibson
So there's no adjustments that need to be made or anything because we have to hit the literally the same exact specification as the natural gas that's already in the pipes.
00:03:53:20 - 00:04:02:23
Jason Moss
Okay. Okay. Good deal. Well, tell us about your where are you located? Where were you at in Georgia and other areas around the U.S.?
00:04:03:00 - 00:04:26:13
Grant Gibson
Yes, we've got a site in Rome, Georgia. It was part of the it is part of the Rome Development Authority's industrial park on on West Hermitage Road. We cited there because, one, there's a large presence of food and beverage manufacturing in the greater Atlanta region. And so when you look at we have folks ask us, why did you relocate in Rome?
00:04:26:13 - 00:04:57:16
Grant Gibson
One is we've had we built a great relationship with the development authority there. There's year-round demand for for natural gas in that area. And that's a big requisite for us. And there's great highway access as well. So we can easily get to the major parts of the region in a very short period of time, a short drive time via truck because we do any of the waste streams that we take in to digest, they are brought in by truck.
00:04:57:18 - 00:05:02:04
Grant Gibson
Okay? So we do need that that that type of highway access as well.
00:05:02:09 - 00:05:12:16
Jason Moss
Okay. And so so tell us a little bit about the waste streams you said you bring in. What are some of the companies for some of your suppliers for your raw goods, I guess?
00:05:12:18 - 00:05:37:21
Grant Gibson
Yeah, absolutely. So when we talk about any of the waste streams that we typically look at any of the companies like, for example, Anheuser-Busch and Cartersville, they've got a large brewery there where we're able to consume or digest the spent yeast, not necessarily the spent grains, but the spit yeast that comes off their process. It's considered high strength.
00:05:37:23 - 00:06:07:20
Grant Gibson
And so it's usually problematic for them and other types of companies that produce, whether it's a high strength wastewater, also food and beverage manufacturing. Even what's considered a DAFF sludge that comes off of if you're a food manufacturer and you have an onsite wastewater treatment plant, there's usually a sludge byproduct off of that onsite wastewater treatment. Again, because that sludge is considered a high strength and has high organic value to it, we're able to take that as well.
00:06:07:22 - 00:06:45:20
Grant Gibson
We need to actually even take packaged products. So if you're a producer of some type of food or any type of whether it's even cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, anything that's set up for, call it human consumption, whether it's washing your hair or your body with a soap or even consuming a food product, whether it's a liquid or a food like a I'll say Hot Pockets or Twinkies or sausage or you name it, we're actually able to pack that type of product and extract out the contents and then recycle the other materials.
00:06:45:20 - 00:07:13:00
Grant Gibson
So the packaging, we are we're able to recycle that. So it's a wide range of from liquids to what we call bulk solids to even on the packaged goods side. So primarily when you look at even some of the kind of hard to deal with or hard to handle or hard to dispose of materials, most landfills don't want wet materials or liquids, okay?
00:07:13:02 - 00:07:30:21
Grant Gibson
And they typically charge a pretty high disposal fee. So we're able to actually take those liquids, no problem, as well as any wet material that comes off of any type of, as I mentioned before, just food and beverage manufacturing, different types of chemicals, biopharmaceuticals, you name it.
00:07:30:23 - 00:07:55:08
Jason Moss
Okay. Okay. I got you. Well, that's that's one of the things that I've heard that there's a little bit of challenge within the food and beverage, especially with the soda manufacturers. Right. The syrups and the different things that they have in those containers can be kind of tricky to process through the typical landfill. Yep. So what why would it why would a company want to go that route?
00:07:55:09 - 00:08:07:22
Jason Moss
You said that you have the landfills don't really want the wet materials is one thing. I mean, kind of that's pretty pretty self-explanatory. But what are the benefits for a manufacturing company to go to center?
00:08:07:24 - 00:08:39:04
Grant Gibson
Yeah, absolutely. So if, for example, if you're a company that has zero landfill goals, that's that can be challenging because if you're producing any type of waste or byproduct from your manufacturing and if your zero landfill, your your outlets are pretty numbered, many pretty small, meaning the number of outlets that are available to you. So you're either going to if you're a food manufacturer, you're either if you're able to send it to animal feed, great.
00:08:39:06 - 00:09:08:14
Grant Gibson
But if you have a wastewater high strength wastewater that can be consumed or land applied, you're more than likely sending it out a long distance to either solidification. So, mixing it with a dry material and then eventually sent out to incinerators and incineration facilities are pretty long distances from the greater Atlanta area. So we're able to save on not only drive distance and drive time, but even sometimes on the cost of the disposal fees.
00:09:08:14 - 00:09:47:18
Grant Gibson
We do charge a disposal or a tipping fee, but because we're trying to strategically locate across the U.S., specifically Rome, Georgia, that way there can be savings on the hauling cost and the disposal cost. If you're a zero landfill, even when you have and when I talk about high strength wastewater, when you think about even the greater Atlanta region, if you if you're a manufacturer in that region, you have the local sewer district, there is under a consent decree where you're not able to discharge all that high strength liquids.
00:09:47:20 - 00:10:14:23
Grant Gibson
And if you do, there's heavy surcharges associated with that. And what we have found that companies are actually able to put it on a tanker truck and haul it to us rather than send it down the drain. Okay. And then even on the on the landfill piece, again, if you're zero landfill, it makes sense. But then even as I said before, with solidification, there could be cost reduction on disposal fees.
00:10:15:00 - 00:10:38:06
Grant Gibson
The other pieces, one of the most important things for us is that we're actually what we call a taker pay. So we we have we guarantee receipt of the waste product. So, landfills, even though you can have a contract, a landfill, a landfill could call you Jason tomorrow and say, hey, Jason, even though you're sending your waste stream, your manufacturer, you're sending us your waste stream.
00:10:38:06 - 00:11:03:06
Grant Gibson
I'm Mr. Landfill. I need to turn you off today because I can't receive your material and I can't tell you the next time I'm going to be able to receive it. I. In a different to where we're able to actually commit and say, Well, we'll guarantee receipt of it because we know how important it is for manufacturing manufacturers to be producing all the time because that's how they make their money.
00:11:03:08 - 00:11:11:18
Jason Moss
Right? Yeah, that can be detrimental in the production environment if you don't have a place to place to move that product again.
00:11:11:20 - 00:11:12:11
Grant Gibson
Absolutely.
00:11:12:17 - 00:11:22:23
Jason Moss
For sure. Right. So, wow. Interesting. Interesting. So you're currently in Rome. Tell us a little bit about some of the other areas where you add on your Rome facility.
00:11:23:00 - 00:11:53:00
Grant Gibson
Yeah. So in Rome, we just received our air permit over the summer and late fall. It was about fall. We received the air permit. We're in design right now where the goal is to break ground in early 24, probably end of Q1, beginning of Q2, around there to where we projected to be about 12 to 15 months.
00:11:53:05 - 00:12:24:12
Grant Gibson
I call it build time, 12 month build time with about 90 to 180 days where the commissioning. So when you get it built and you turn the lights on, it's kind of like starting with an empty stomach because it is a lever, it is a living call it process because you use naturally occurring bacteria and different stages of the process, just like would you what you would have in maybe a compost pile where that's the use of oxygen to break down organic material.
00:12:24:14 - 00:12:55:14
Grant Gibson
We're actually use bacteria that occur in environments that have no oxygen, so anaerobic so we're like you said, finishing up design and to where we'll have that finished up and then, like I said, with commissioning, it's like starting with an empty stomach and then we'll start to trickle in the waste streams of the customers that we've contracted with and then get to full production across anywhere from 3 to 6 months.
00:12:55:14 - 00:13:05:14
Grant Gibson
So it's that's probably one of the most exciting times for, for a digester is when you when you turn the lights on and say, okay, let's start let's start feeding the stomach.
00:13:05:16 - 00:13:16:13
Jason Moss
Right, Right. Very cool. I tell you, ma'am, it sounds like some exciting times. And once you get things kind of squared away, well, we can come. Come take a visit. We'd love to come. Come.
00:13:16:13 - 00:13:50:00
Grant Gibson
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. And we'd love to have people show up and tour even when we're under construction because we'll have what we call kind of call it construction tours, where we'll have different signage along the way to say, Hey, here's where this tank is going to go, here's the receiving building, here's this other type of tank, and then describing with pictures of everything that well, it's kind of like walking through a museum that has kind of models along the way or depicts history kind of thing.
00:13:50:02 - 00:13:58:18
Grant Gibson
Same kind of concept towards us. There will be under construction, but we'll at least be able to show the different steps in the process and the different parts of the plant.
00:13:58:20 - 00:14:29:19
Jason Moss
Okay, perfect. Well, definitely, I'm looking forward to that. I should be should be lots of fun. Or as somebody as you know, we work with all different kinds of manufacturers from everything from mom and pop machine shops to, you know, Starbucks. Actually, Starbucks has been a long-time member of ours to Gulfstream. And Daniel Defense, we've got a couple of really cool tours coming up soon. We're going to be tours in KIA, and Gulfstream will be take it probably be a tour of the port again this year.
00:14:29:21 - 00:14:53:13
Jason Moss
So we get to go out and see some really, really cool manufacturing companies. And Kings Alliance was one that was real fun. And people say, well, what does a dinner roll have to do with a, you know, $70 million aircraft? Well, it's it's still manufacturing. It's converting a relic. Absolutely Yep. To a finished good using a machine and you're using that same process and you're finished goods, you know, R&D, which is cool.
00:14:53:13 - 00:15:03:06
Grant Gibson
So yeah, actually and interesting you mention that because part of the equipment for our Cincinnati facility is actually being fabricated right outside of room.
00:15:03:06 - 00:15:05:00
Jason Moss
Georgia Nice.
00:15:05:02 - 00:15:05:17
Grant Gibson
Yeah.
00:15:05:19 - 00:15:26:08
Jason Moss
So yeah, that's cool. Well, we know we're here to help. I mean, we're excited that you're part of the team, and I know that you'll be an integral part of especially the food and beverage. Now that's your primary is that your primary customer base is food and beverage. Who else do we need to be looking for or, you know, keeping our eyes out to make connections for you?
00:15:26:10 - 00:16:03:13
Grant Gibson
Yeah. Everybody from food and beverage manufacturing to even. And you wouldn't, you wouldn't think it, but we've got a neighbor nearby to our site in the Rome area that produces different types of beverage containers, and they actually use in their stamping process, they use food grade vegetable oil. Okay. So when they use the food grade vegetable oil during their stamping process, when those containers go through the final rinsing stages, what do they end up with an oily water and what is that for them?
00:16:03:14 - 00:16:27:04
Grant Gibson
A high strength wastewater. Yep. And who's able to take that syndicate is you wouldn't think that, but it's one of those ones where you start to talk to a manufacturer and they're like, yeah, I got one of those for you, right? And then you go out back and you look and you say, Wow, you have this whole tankful or oily water and it's food grade vegetable oil mixed with water, and that's high strength for them.
00:16:27:06 - 00:16:51:20
Grant Gibson
And they're not able to just send it down the drain. Right. So for us being very nearby, I mean, it's a major win for them because that company is a zero landfill. They have zero landfill initiatives. So it's anybody who produces any manufacturer who produces a any type of organic byproduct. Okay. So for you. Yeah. Yeah. Excuse me.
00:16:51:20 - 00:16:54:22
Jason Moss
What's that? That's a perfect food for you, right? For the system.
00:16:54:24 - 00:17:30:10
Grant Gibson
Exactly. Oily water like that, where it's a vegetable oil, food based oil. Absolutely. I mean, pharmaceuticals produce different byproducts, you name it. There's all these different waste products are waste streams out there that for me, I never leave any stone unturned when it comes to that. So when it when you Jason, when you ask about who's who else should we be thinking about anybody who produces a product that ends up with a with an organic byproduct, whether it's a solid or liquid, more than likely able to take it?
00:17:30:12 - 00:17:55:05
Jason Moss
Okay, perfect. Perfect. Well, we'd better keep our eyes and ears open on that. And if there's anything specific that you need, that's one of the things that GMA will really work hard to provide a place for connections if there's something that pops up that you guys need. Again, anybody that's watching this that wants to reach out to Grant and since get all of Grant's information, you've done a great job of filling out his profile on GMA.
00:17:55:05 - 00:18:11:14
Jason Moss
So you'll see a link to that in this video and in on the audio side of it as well. But any other thoughts? What is it that what are you most excited about for 2024? What's the what's the thing you're looking for?
00:18:11:16 - 00:18:37:19
Grant Gibson
I would say being able when I meet with different manufacturers across any of the regions. And Jason, you had asked earlier about where else are you building? We're building in Houston, Texas, San Antonio, Texas, Norco, Louisiana. So just west of New Orleans, and then Lebanon Junction, Kentucky, which is about 30 minutes south of Louisville and then Cincinnati as well.
00:18:37:21 - 00:19:00:14
Grant Gibson
I get really excited when I meet with different manufacturers. And when you see the like the smile on their face when they say, I've been waiting for one of these for a while because I've got these big goals or these objectives, the head and all of them have to do with whether it's environmental stewardship, reducing emissions, you name it.
00:19:00:16 - 00:19:25:19
Grant Gibson
And we really check a lot of those boxes for a wide range of manufacturers. So I really enjoy doing it, and I'm looking forward to that in 24. We're excited to be in Rome, Georgia. Like you said, the Rome of Fluid Development Authority has been fantastic. Stick to work with. And I mean, there's a possibility that we could look at building a second one in Greater Atlanta because the demand is that high.
00:19:25:21 - 00:19:35:03
Grant Gibson
Yeah, we'll see what time will tell on that one. But yeah, I'm excited to meet other members of the GMA and really get to know everybody.
00:19:35:05 - 00:19:51:24
Jason Moss
Perfect. Perfect. Well, that sounds good. We have almost the first half of the year laid out on the calendar, so make sure that you and your team, when you have a chance, get out there and take a look at that plug into as much as you can, because that's one of the great things about GMA is, you know, we do almost nothing virtual.
00:19:51:24 - 00:20:15:02
Jason Moss
This is one of the very few things that we do virtually. But this is a way to help get you in front of more of our memberships, but also have a lot of our members find out about your, you know, about the services that you guys provide. So the live events we've got, we're going to tour our age office in January.
00:20:15:04 - 00:20:44:19
Jason Moss
Aristotle and February, March, we're going to Key April, we're going to Endeavor 3-D. So 3D printing, basically factory and in May will be doing forget what we're doing online, but it's all on the website, right? So I don't have to remember all of that. But yeah, but the more that you and your team can plug in, the more the rest of the GMA family can get to know you guys and figure out how we can support each other because I think we've got some fun times ahead.
00:20:44:19 - 00:20:50:14
Jason Moss
And 2024 and again, we're really excited and thankful to have you all on board with us.
00:20:50:16 - 00:20:53:05
Grant Gibson
Yeah, we're very grateful and appreciate you guys having us.
00:20:53:07 - 00:20:58:11
Jason Moss
Perfect. Well, that sounds good. Well, with that, we're going to sign off and we'll look forward to seeing you at upcoming events.
00:20:58:13 - 00:20:59:22
Grant Gibson
All right. Thanks, Jason.
00:20:59:24 - 00:21:00:09
Jason Moss
Thanks buddy.