In the United States (US), biogas technology provider and renewable natural gas (RNG) producer Archaea Energy Inc., a bp company, and Rumpke Waste and Recycling Inc. have celebrated the startup of two new RNG plants, built using Archaea’s Modular Design (AMD) technology, at two Rumpke-operated landfills in Southern Ohio.
Landfill gas (LFG), a natural byproduct of the decomposition of waste in landfills, is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG).
Using the AMD process, the Beech Hollow and Pike County plants capture the gas from Rumpke’s landfills and convert it to renewable natural gas (RNG). This can lead to cleaner air and more sustainable energy when compared with traditional fossil fuel energy, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The opening of these two plants marks a significant milestone not only for Archaea, but for the Buckeye state and its communities to drive change for lower carbon energy. These plants continue our efforts to scale innovative technologies, said Craig Marcum, VP of Operations for Archaea Energy.
The two Rumpke-operated landfills combined can process 6,200 cubic feet of LFG per minute (scfm) into RNG – enough gas to heat around 25,238 homes annually, according to the EPA’s Landfill Gas Energy Benefits Calculator.
The Beech Hollow Landfill can process 3,200 scfm, and the Pike Sanitation Landfill can process 2,000 scfm.
Rumpke was among the first to implement green technology at landfills back in 1986. Today, we continue to look for innovative ways to increase sustainability, said Jake Rumpke, Area VP at Rumpke Waste and Recycling.
Traditionally, RNG plants have been custom-built, but the AMD technology allows plants to be built on skids with interchangeable components. Using a standardized modular design can lead to a faster build than previous industry standards.
The Beech Hollow and Pike Sanitation Landfill projects add to our network of nine landfill gas-to-energy plants at our landfills. These recovery systems provide enough energy for more than 70,000 homes as well as fuel for a small portion of our truck fleet. We are excited to expand these sustainable practices to this part of the state. This plant will provide our Southern Ohio customers assurance that their waste is not only being properly managed, but beneficially reused, Jake Rumpke said.
According to bp, Archaea is the largest RNG producer in the US and enhances bp’s ability to support customers’ decarbonization goals and progress its aim to reduce the average lifecycle carbon intensity of the energy products it sells.
