Raven SR has obtained its final air permit and the authority to construct from the Bay Area Air District (BAAD) for a facility in Richmond, California that will convert diverted organic waste into renewable hydrogen using a non-combustion steam/carbon dioxide reforming process. The project will be located at a Republic Service’s closed West Contra Costa Sanitary landfill site and will process up to 99 wet tonnes of organic waste per day.
Furthermore, it is expected to produce about 2,400 metric tonnes of transportation-grade hydrogen annually, and reportedly help offset up to 7,200 tonnes of landfill-related carbon emissions per year. Hydrogen output will be collected daily by offtake partners for supply to nearby fueling stations, and no storage will take place at the site.
The permitting process extended over more than five years, including a three-and-a-half year review by the BAAD. With approvals now secured, the company is working on the final engineering steps required under permit conditions and preparing construction submissions for the City of Richmond. The groundbreaking of the project is anticipated in early 2026, followed by full construction once financing arrangements are completed.
The Richmond project is owned by Raven SR S1 LLC, a Raven SR subsidiary. Raven SR will operate the facility, in collaboration with Chevron New Energies. Additionally, Chevron, ITOCHU, Ascent Funds, Samsung Ventures, and RockCreek are strategic investors in Raven SR for the project. Due to the prolonged approval timeline and rising costs, the project investment has increased to about $75 million, funded mainly through private equity.
