Plant Openings
PurposeEnergy and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Open Renewable Energy Facility
Image courtesy of PurposeEnergy.
PurposeEnergy has opened its anaerobic digestion facility in St. Albans, Vermont. Construction began in May 2023, and the facility began exporting electricity to the Vermont grid in December 2024. This milestone marks PurposeEnergy’s first project fully funded by Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners following the firm’s acquisition of PurposeEnergy in April 2023.
PurposeEnergy and Ben & Jerry’s signed a long-term feedstock agreement in 2021, laying the groundwork for the St. Albans facility, which converts organic waste and out-of-spec food products into renewable energy and clean water. Ben & Jerry’s sends production waste streams via a pipeline directly to the facility.
Casella, Wind River Environmental, Evergreen Services and Carmichael Trucking transport additional feedstocks from regional producers — helping to centralize food waste management and expand the facility’s positive environmental impact.
“This project strengthens Ben & Jerry’s commitment to environmental sustainability by providing a long-term solution for organic waste,” says Jenna Evans, global sustainability manager at Ben & Jerry’s. “It will reduce Vermont’s road traffic, lower greenhouse gas emissions and decrease phosphorous pollution.”
PurposeEnergy’s St. Albans facility was built on land purchased from Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation and is expected to generate 8,750,000 kWh annually of renewable electricity, exported to the Vermont grid under the state’s Standard Offer program, which supports the deployment of small-scale renewable generation. Simultaneously, the facility recovers up to 45,000 million Btu annually of renewable thermal energy, used to heat the digester and support facility operations.
“This facility represents a major step forward in sustainable infrastructure for food manufacturing in Vermont,” says Erik Lallum, chief development officer of PurposeEnergy. “It’s a model of industrial symbiosis — turning food production waste into clean energy, reducing emissions and supporting local economies.”
The presence of PurposeEnergy’s industrial-scale waste treatment facility can support food manufacturing investment and economic growth in the St. Albans Industrial Park and surrounding region by offering an on-site, sustainable solution for waste management and renewable energy recovery.
The grand opening marks the beginning of a new chapter in Vermont’s clean energy and food manufacturing landscape, uniting public and private stakeholders in the mission of building a more sustainable future.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
