In the United States (US), Roanoke Valley Resource Authority (RVRA) the municipal solid waste handler for Roanoke County, Roanoke City, Salem City, and the Town of Vinton in Virginia (VA) has announced a long-term agreement with Archaea Energy Inc., a bp-owned company, to transform waste emissions from its Smith Gap Regional Landfill into renewable natural gas (RNG).
As part of the arrangement, RVRA will send landfill gas (LFG) to a processing facility to be owned and operated by Archaea Energy, one of the largest and fastest-growing RNG producers in the United States.
As organic materials decompose in landfills, they generate methane and other naturally occurring gases. RVRA will collect these gases through a series of gas wells and pipes and transport them to Archaea’s on-site RNG plant, projected to open in 2025.
The plant will convert the LFG into pipeline-quality RNG and will be sold to end consumers, replacing traditional fossil fuels for powering homes, businesses, and vehicles.
This project underlines our commitment to advancing environmental stewardship while benefiting our local communities. RVRA has always been committed to innovative solutions that bring economic and environmental benefits to the communities we serve. This agreement will transform the existing landfill gas into a valuable energy resource without requiring any capital investment from RVRA, said Jeremy Garrett the Director of Operations, Technical Services of RVRA.
The project will reduce RVRA’s annual operational costs for compliance, generate a new stream of revenue for RVRA, and work to improve air quality across the Roanoke Valley Region.
