GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Rapid has begun getting renewable natural gas from the city of Grand Rapids’ biodigester to fuel its fleet of buses.

The renewable natural gas is Environmental Protection Agency certified, considered to be carbon negative and produces the lowest carbon intensity of any on-road vehicle fuel, according to a Rapid news release.

The Grand Rapids Water Resource Recovery Facility along Market Avenue SW. The biodigester, with green roofing, can be seen in the foreground. (Aug. 3, 2022)
The Grand Rapids Water Resource Recovery Facility along Market Avenue SW. The biodigester, with green roofing, can be seen in the foreground. (Aug. 3, 2022)

The renewable natural gas supply is made by capturing methane during decomposition at the biodigester and converting it into vehicle fuel. So instead of going to a local landfill, the waste will help fuel The Rapid’s fleet of buses, the release said.

“We continue to explore a pathway to a zero-emissions fleet, but the advantage of (renewable natural gas) is that we can put it to work in our buses right now. We don’t need to wait to start improving our environment and community,” Rapid COO Steve Schipper said in a news release.

Currently, of the 133 buses, 102 can run entirely on renewable natural gases. In an effort to reach zero emissions by 2035, The Rapid said it would replace its diesel buses with ones that run on renewable natural gas.