Farmer-owned cooperative Blue Diamond Growers says it has partnered with technology company Divert to transform low-value almond processing byproducts into renewable energy.
Divert’s technologies and sustainable infrastructure also will assist California in reaching its 2045 net-zero carbon pollution goals, the cooperative said.
The material will be converted at Divert’s Integrated Diversion & Energy Facility in Turlock, Calif., into two byproducts: renewable energy to supply local homes and businesses, as well as soil amendments, according to a news release. Blue Diamond said this builds on a rich tradition of the cooperative and the almond industry of converting almond byproducts into almond flour, almond oil and almond protein powder.
“Blue Diamond’s long history of furthering the use of almonds and almond byproducts is an important part of our sustainability story and why our almonds have a record of very low waste,” Dan Sonke, head of sustainability at Blue Diamond Growers, said in the release. “This partnership with Divert is a way to continue our legacy of putting resources to their best and highest value for our farmer-owners and community.”
Divert broke ground on its Turlock facility in April 2023, and once fully functional, it will process 100,000 tons from food manufacturers and other companies to produce enough renewable energy to supply 3,000 homes each year, the company said.
“We are proud to join forces with a company like Blue Diamond Growers that shares our mission and commitment to sustainability,” said Divert co-founder and CEO Ryan Begin. “The organic byproducts from food processing have tremendous value that can be converted into renewable energy to power our communities. With California being the largest food manufacturer in the U.S., there is a real opportunity for the state to adopt the technologies and infrastructure for food processing that will have a positive impact on the climate crisis. We applaud Blue Diamond for being at the forefront of the industry in implementing solutions to better our world.”
