In the United States (US), Lane County, in partnership with Emerald People’s Utility District (EPUD) in Oregon has selected Waga Energy Inc., a subsidiary of France-headed gas cleaning technology provider Waga Energy Group, to build, own, operate, and maintain a renewable natural gas (RNG) production unit at the Short Mountain Landfill in Eugene, Oregon.
Emerald People’s Utility District (EPUD) is a customer-owned, not-for-profit public power utility serving communities in western Oregon.
Over the last several decades, EPUD has generated electricity from landfill gas (LFG) at the Short Mountain Landfill at a capacity of 3 MW.
Short Mountain Landfill is municipally owned and operated by Lane County. It accepts up to 270,000 tonnes of waste annually.
We are excited to begin a new chapter in our decades-long partnership with Emerald People’s Utility District. Working together with Waga Energy will allow us to reduce emissions from the landfill and turn those emissions into renewable fuel. It’s a win for our community and a great example of how public agencies can work together with private companies to create innovative and beneficial solutions, said Lane County Commissioner David Loveall.
Produce RNG
According to a statement, EPUD selected Waga Energy to generate RNG, replacing the engines at the site.
Lane County agreed with EPUD’s recommendation: to select Waga Energy, a global leader in the production of renewable natural gas (RNG) from landfills, to upgrade the LFG into pipeline-quality RNG at Short Mountain Landfill in Eugene for an initial 25-year period.
The plant will utilize the WAGABOX technology, developed and patented by Waga Energy.
Replacing EPUD’s engines with the WAGABOX technology will increase overall energy production, lower site emissions, and enable the delivery of locally produced RNG transported using existing gas infrastructure.
Once operational, it is able to process up to 2,000 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) of LFG and produce about 407,000 MMBtu (120 GWh) of RNG per year, delivering gas to the local pipeline.
EPUD is pleased to support this next chapter at the Short Mountain landfill. While we’re proud of the contributions we’ve made over the past three decades to generate low-cost electricity and reduce local emissions, we know that Waga Energy can take these efforts to a new level. At the same time, this transaction will protect our customers from future rate increases and allow us to focus on our core mission of providing safe, reliable, low-cost power, said Curt Offenbacher, Board of Directors President at Emerald People’s Utility District (EPUD).
Support a circular economy
The project is expected to reduce up to 31,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) emissions annually through the displacement of fossil fuels.
By producing pipeline-quality RNG, the project supports the circular economy and reduces reliance on fossil fuels with a local, reliable, and renewable source of energy provided to the community.
We are honored to partner with Lane County and EPUD on this project, which reflects a shared commitment to environmental stewardship and innovative energy solutions. By transforming landfill gas into high‑quality renewable natural gas, we’re not only reducing local greenhouse gas emissions but also providing the community with a reliable, locally produced source of energy. This collaboration demonstrates what’s possible for a local community when a public partner and a technology leader work together to advance a more sustainable future, said Guénaël Prince, Co-Founder and CEO of Waga Energy Inc.
