Vanguard Renewables has broken ground on its newest anaerobic digestion facility in Litchfield, Minnesota.

"We're proud to expand access to organics recycling for food and beverage companies across the Midwest while helping meet growing demand for locally produced renewable energy in Minnesota," says CEO Mike O'Laughlin. "With a strong concentration of agricultural production, food manufacturing and energy demand, the Midwest is a natural fit for continued investment as we expand our proven platform nationwide."

The facility will process more than 300 tons of food and beverage waste per day, providing regional manufacturers, retailers and distributors with a reliable way to divert material from landfills at a time when growing regulatory pressure and sustainability commitments are accelerating demand for scalable organics recycling. Through anaerobic digestion, that material will be converted into renewable natural gas and nutrient-rich fertilizer, creating a closed-loop system that connects waste diversion with local energy production and regenerative agriculture.

Once commissioned, the facility will produce approximately 270,000 MMBtu of renewable natural gas annually — enough to meet the energy needs of approximately 5,300 homes. The facility will interconnect to CenterPoint Energy's distribution system, which serves approximately 950,000 customers across Minnesota.

The project is being developed through a joint venture with TotalEnergies, bringing together Vanguard Renewables' expertise in organics recycling and biomethane production with TotalEnergies' global energy development capabilities to accelerate the deployment of renewable natural gas infrastructure across the United States.

The facility is being constructed at Wagner Dairy, a family farm that has been in operation since 1887. It reflects Vanguard Renewables' model of partnering with agricultural producers to co-locate anaerobic digestion systems that deliver both environmental and economic benefits at the local level. The process at the facility also produces a nutrient-rich byproduct that is returned to the land as a natural fertilizer, helping reduce reliance on synthetic inputs while lowering operating costs across thousands of acres of working farmland.

"For our family and our farm, this project represents an investment in the future," says Justin Wagner, co-owner of Wagner Dairy. "We are proud to partner with Vanguard Renewables on a solution that improves our nutrient and manure management while creating long-term value for our operation and the surrounding community."

Construction is expected to support 100 jobs, with approximately 10 permanent positions created once the facility is operational.

This investment further strengthens Vanguard Renewables' growing presence in the Midwest, now the company's largest portfolio outside of New England. With this facility online, Vanguard Renewables will operate 14 facilities nationwide.