What Calgren Renewable Fuels does

Calgren Renewable Fuels is a privately held, integrated renewable fuels platform headquartered in Pixley, California. Founded in 2008, the company began as an ethanol producer and has progressively layered dairy-manure renewable natural gas (RNG), carbon capture and utilization, and is now developing a permanent carbon sequestration project (TCCSP). Its Pixley campus integrates a ~116 million gallon/year dry-mill ethanol plant, an anaerobic digestion cluster fed by 20+ local family dairies, an RNG upgrading facility injecting into the SoCalGas utility pipeline, CO2 capture and purification, a low-NOx gas turbine generator, and a public fast-fill R-CNG station. A sister ethanol plant in Pratt, Kansas (Pratt Energy) operates under shared CEO Travis Lane, bringing the combined platform to approximately 110–116M gallons of ethanol annually.

The core technology stack spans dry-mill ethanol fermentation, on-site biogas upgrading to pipeline-quality RNG, dairy-manure anaerobic digestion, multi-product CO2 capture and refining, ultra-low NOx combined heat and power, and geological carbon storage engineering (with a research well drilled to 9,620 feet and over 200 feet of rock core extracted as part of TCCSP Class VI development). Co-products include Wet Distillers Grains (~400,000 tons/year) sold as dairy feed, corn oil (~1.5 million gallons/year) used in poultry feed and biodiesel feedstock, and beverage/pharmaceutical-grade CO2 (~90,000 metric tons/year).

The business model is multi-stream and largely B2B/commodity-based. Revenue is generated through ethanol sales into transportation fuel markets, RNG sales injected into SoCalGas for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle use, monetization of California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits, WDG and corn oil feed sales to local dairies and poultry operations, industrial CO2 sales, biodiesel production, and direct retail R-CNG fuel sales. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors, and operates alongside its Pratt Energy sister facility under common leadership. Customer concentration is distributed across transportation fuel markets, dairy feedstock partners, food/beverage CO2 customers, and livestock feed buyers.

Name

Calgren Renewable Fuels

Legal name

Calgren Renewable Fuels

Website

https://calgren.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Calgren Renewable Fuels operates an integrated renewable fuels platform in Pixley, California, producing low-carbon ethanol, dairy-manure renewable natural gas (RNG), animal feed co-products, and captured CO2, while developing a Class VI carbon storage project (TCCSP) in partnership with the DOE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pixley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ethanol Sales: Ethanol is sold into transportation fuel markets, reducing dependence on imported oil. Ethanol blended into gasoline promotes cleaner combustion.
2. Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Sales: RNG produced from dairy methane is injected into SoCalGas utility pipeline for use as transportation fuel in medium and heavy-duty vehicles. Fully compliant with California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and generates valuable credits.
3. Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Credits: RNG and ethanol generate valuable LCFS credits under California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, helping reduce the carbon intensity of transportation across the state.
4. CO2 Sales: Captured CO2 from ethanol fermentation is refined and distributed as beverage and pharmaceutical grade CO2 for industrial applications including food and beverage industries.
5. Wet Distillers Grains (WDG) Sales: Approximately 400,000 tons of WDG produced annually as nutritious, high-protein animal feed for local dairy livestock.
6. Corn Oil Sales: Approximately 1.5 million gallons of corn oil extracted annually, utilized primarily in poultry feed and as feedstock for biodiesel production.
7. R-CNG Retail Fuel Sales: Public fast-fill R-CNG station at Pixley provides renewable compressed natural gas to local drivers and fleets, closing the loop from production to end use.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Calgren Renewable Fuels produces and supplies low-carbon ethanol (~116 million gallons/year) and renewable natural gas (RNG) from Midwestern corn and California dairy manure feedstock at its Pixley, California facility. The company operates an integrated platform combining dry-mill ethanol production, a dairy manure anaerobic digester cluster, carbon capture and utilization, and the in-development Tulare County Carbon Storage Project (TCCSP). It also sells co-products including wet distillers grains, corn oil, captured beverage/pharmaceutical-grade CO2, biodiesel, and operates a public fast-fill R-CNG fueling station.

Product overview

Calgren Renewable Fuels operates an integrated renewable fuels platform centered at its Pixley, California facility. The company produces low-carbon ethanol from corn (approximately 116 million gallons annually) as its foundation, which generates co-products including Wet Distillers Grains (animal feed), Corn Oil, and captured CO2. Dairy manure methane is converted to Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) through anaerobic digestion. The Tulare County Carbon Storage Project (TCCSP) will add permanent CO2 sequestration capability. A public R-CNG fueling station provides direct-to-consumer renewable fuel access. The company also produces biodiesel. This circular, integrated approach connects agriculture, fuel production, dairy partnerships, and energy reuse to maximize value while reducing carbon intensity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TCCSP (Tulare County Carbon Storage Project): A carbon capture and storage project developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to permanently sequester CO2 underground.

Products and services

• Low-Carbon Ethanol Dry-mill ethanol produced from Midwestern corn, approximately 116 million gallons annually, sold into transportation fuel markets for blending with gasoline to reduce petroleum dependence.
• Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Pipeline-quality RNG produced by capturing and upgrading methane from over 20 dairy manure anaerobic digesters; injected into SoCalGas utility pipeline for use as transportation fuel in medium and heavy-duty vehicles. Over 1,200,000 MMBtu produced annually.
• Wet Distillers Grains (WDG) High-protein animal feed co-product of ethanol distillation, produced at over 700,000 tons per year, sold to local dairy operations.
• Corn Oil Corn oil extracted during ethanol production, approximately 40 million pounds (1.5 million gallons) annually, sold primarily as poultry feed and biodiesel feedstock.
• Captured Carbon Dioxide (Beverage and Pharmaceutical Grade) Approximately 90,000 metric tons per year of CO2 captured during ethanol fermentation, refined and sold as beverage and pharmaceutical grade CO2 for food, beverage, and industrial applications.
• Tulare County Carbon Storage Project (TCCSP) Geologic carbon capture and sequestration project targeting permanent underground storage of at least 50 million metric tons of CO2 over 20+ years. Includes development of a Class VI injection well in California's Central Valley.
• Public Fast-Fill R-CNG Fueling Station Public fast-fill station dispensing RNG produced from dairy methane to CNG-compatible passenger vehicles, buses, and commercial fleets at rates comparable to conventional CNG stations.
• Biodiesel Biodiesel produced at Calgren's facility using corn oil and other feedstocks, contributing to renewable fuel output.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50-100%+ lifecycle GHG reduction vs conventional fuels when using dairy-based RNG
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024TCCSP is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the CarbonSAFE program. DOE provides funding and oversight for the carbon capture and storage project development phases. The project is sponsored by DOE with the goal of developing technically sound and environmentally responsible carbon capture and storage infrastructure in California's Central Valley.
• Advanced Resources International (ARI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARI is a leading carbon storage professional and key partner in the TCCSP project, bringing expertise in geologic carbon sequestration assessment and project development.
• Los Alamos National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-class research institution contributing to the TCCSP project through scientific expertise in carbon storage characterization and monitoring technologies.
• Visage Clean Energy ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean energy consulting partner providing expertise in energy transition and carbon management strategies for the TCCSP project.
• Livermore Lab FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch foundation partner contributing to the technical analysis and development of carbon storage solutions in the TCCSP project.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStanford's SCCS (Stanford Carbon Storage Initiative) provides research expertise and academic rigor to the TCCSP project, contributing to site characterization and storage assessment.
• Provost & Pritchard Consulting GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering consulting firm recognized alongside Calgren for the Calgren Dairy Fuels Pipeline Project (Engineering Excellence Merit Award 2019). Provided engineering services for the dairy digester pipeline cluster.
• Maas Energy WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for dairy digester projects, recognized alongside Calgren for the EPA Clean Air Technology Award 2019 and the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award 2021. Collaborated on the Calgren Dairy Fuels Pipeline Project.
• SoCalGascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern California Gas Company receives Calgren's RNG injection into their utility natural gas pipeline. Calgren began injecting RNG into the SoCalGas pipeline in 2019, contributing to cleaner transportation and energy solutions in California.
• Pratt EnergyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister ethanol plant operating in Pratt, Kansas as part of Calgren's renewable fuels platform. Together, Calgren and Pratt Energy produce approximately 110 million gallons of ethanol annually. Travis Lane serves as CEO of both facilities.
• Local Family Dairies (20+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 20 local family dairies provide manure feedstock for Calgren's anaerobic digestion cluster. This partnership captures methane emissions, provides new revenue streams for farmers, and supports agricultural sustainability in Tulare County.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Verbio: German integrated producer of ethanol, biodiesel, and biomethane from agricultural residues. Closely mirrors Calgren's integrated renewable fuels + biomethane model at a larger European footprint.
• Brightmark Energy: San Francisco-based waste-to-energy company focused on dairy manure-to-RNG projects across the U.S. Closely comparable technology stack (anaerobic digestion, upgrading, pipeline injection) to Calgren's RNG cluster.
• Alto Ingredients: California-based ethanol producer (formerly Pacific Ethanol) operating dry-mill ethanol plants with specialty alcohols and co-products. Direct geographic peer with overlapping California LCFS exposure.
• Maas Energy Works: California dairy digester developer and direct Calgren partner on the dairy cluster pipeline project. Operates a near-identical model of dairy manure-to-RNG in the same Tulare County region.
• Green Plains: Nebraska-based ethanol producer with diversified co-product strategy including distillers grains and corn oil. Operates a comparable dry-mill ethanol platform with overlapping downstream feed markets.
• Aemetis: A California-based renewable fuels company producing ethanol, biodiesel, and renewable diesel with carbon capture and sequestration initiatives. Closest geographic and product-mix peer to Calgren, including the planned CCS component.
• Vanguard Renewables: Northeast U.S. dairy manure-to-RNG developer with farm digester clusters comparable in design to Calgren's Tulare cluster. Regional focus differs but technology and business model are directly aligned.
• POET: Largest U.S. ethanol producer operating a network of dry-mill ethanol plants with similar co-product outputs (DDGS, corn oil). Comparable production scale, technology, and product mix to Calgren's ethanol platform.

Broad incumbents

• Neste: Finnish global leader in renewable diesel (HVO/HEFA) and sustainable aviation fuel with deep R&D and feedstock diversification. Operates at materially larger scale but is a benchmark incumbent in advanced biofuels.
• Renewable Energy Group (Chevron): Now part of Chevron, REG is a major renewable diesel and biodiesel producer with broader feedstock reach and downstream blending infrastructure. Larger incumbent in renewable fuels with overlapping customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calgren-renewable-fuels-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Calgren Renewable Fuels