BlackRock Buys Vanguard Renewables, Accelerates 100 Anaerobic Digester RNG Growth Plan

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December 27, 2023

Daniel Foelber

Vanguard Renewables is the owner and operator of the largest anaerobic digester in the Northeast, located on the Goodrich Family Dairy Farm in Salisbury, Vermont. (Image Courtesy Of Vanguard Renewables)

Originally published January 11, 2023.

Vanguard Renewables, an organics-to-renewable energy company, announced that a fund managed by BlackRock Real Assets acquired the company from Vision Ridge Partners. BlackRock Real Assets will partner with Vanguard Renewables’ management team to build upon the company’s track record and drive its next phase of growth, including its plans to commission more than 100 anaerobic digesters to produce renewable natural gas (RNG) across the country by 2026.

Since its founding by John Hanselman and Kevin Chase in 2014, Vanguard Renewables has attempted to change the perception of US food waste and how that waste can be recycled into renewable energy to benefit the planet. The company mitigates greenhouse gas emissions from food waste and cow manure through two distinct business lines: Vanguard Organics and Vanguard Ag. Vanguard Organics’ farm-powered anaerobic codigestion process converts inedible food and beverage waste and dairy manure into RNG and liquid low-carbon fertilizer. Vanguard Ag, developed in partnership with Dominion Energy in 2019, converts manure into RNG. Vanguard Renewables believes the multi-year partnership is essential to Vanguard Ag’s growth and Dominion Energy’s commitment to further its ESG goals via significant investments in RNG projects.

“I am immensely proud to have helped build a company from the ground up into a national organic waste-to-renewable energy leader,” said John Hanselman, founder and chief strategy officer at Vanguard Renewables. “Vanguard Renewables’ mission has always been to help America realize a future where waste is a resource for renewable energy generation and regenerative agriculture practice.”

Onpeak Capital LLC served as the exclusive financial adviser to Vanguard Renewables. Evercore served as exclusive financial adviser and Simpson Thacher, & Bartlett served as legal counsel to BlackRock Real Assets. Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal counsel to Vision Ridge Partners.