In the United States (US), representatives from Polk County in Florida (FL), and Opal Fuels commemorated the operation of a landfill gas to renewable natural gas (RNG) upgrading facility located at Polk County’s North Central Landfill with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The facility reflects a successful public-private partnership between Polk County’s Solid Waste Division and Opal Fuels, which began developing about two years ago.
As a result, the county’s residential waste haulers, FCC Environmental and GFL Environmental, now use compressed natural gas (CNG) sourced from the local pipeline, reducing their reliance on diesel.
The RNG plant is owned and operated by OPAL Fuels.
Polk County is proud to be a partner in the process of turning landfill biogas into renewable natural gas. Partnerships like this are doing great things for our residents, county, and environment, said Rick Wilson, Chair of the Board of County Commissioners.
Previously, per the Department of Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations, the landfill gas (LFG) was captured and flared on site.
The renewable natural gas (RNG) facility will greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The innovative US$60 million facility began converting LFG into RNG in October 2024. The RNG will power vehicles, homes, and businesses, significantly reducing environmental impact.
Co-CEO of Opal Fuels, Jon Maurer, highlighted the milestone as a step forward in decarbonizing heavy-duty trucking and supporting the use of renewable energy.
This partnership represents a model for municipal landfills across the state and beyond, Jon Maurer said.
