A groundbreaking partnership aimed at transforming almond processing byproducts into renewable energy and enhancing California’s efforts to meet its climate goals has recently been announced. That partnership is none other than Divert and Blue Diamond Growers.
“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,” said Dan Sonke, Head of Sustainability at Blue Diamond Growers. “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.”
This partnership enabled Blue Diamond to utilize its low-value almond byproducts at Divert’s Integrated Diversion and Energy Facility in Turlock, California.
By converting these byproducts, the facility will generate renewable energy to supply local homes and businesses, while also producing a soil amendment that returns vital nutrients to farmland, thereby supporting further agricultural growth.
“We are proud to join forces with a company like Blue Diamond Growers that shares our mission and commitment to sustainability,” said Ryan Begin, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Divert. “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.”
According to a press release, Divert’s Turlock facility, which broke ground in April 2023, was set to process 100,000 tons of wasted food annually, producing enough renewable energy to power roughly 3,000 homes. This initiative also aimed to assist California food manufacturers in complying with Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383), which mandates organic waste reduction.
By transforming almond byproducts into renewable energy, Divert and Blue Diamond not only aimed to enhance sustainability practices but also contributed to a greener future for California’s agricultural industry.
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