In the United States (US), energy infrastructure holding company South Jersey Industries (SJI), renewable energy investment firm Captona LLC, and energy infrastructure project developer RNG Energy Solutions LLC, have announced a partnership to construct one of the largest food waste-to-renewable natural gas (RNG) projects in the country.
The Linden Renewable Energy (LRE) Project, based in Linden, New Jersey (NJ) will convert organic waste into pipeline-quality biomethane aka renewable natural gas (RNG) that can be used for a variety of applications to displace fossil fuels.
Elizabethtown Gas customers to receive RNG
The announcement marks SJI’s first non-utility-led anaerobic digester (AD) project that will directly connect its utility customers with a New Jersey-based RNG producer.
Elizabethtown Gas, one of SJI’s primary utility subsidiaries, will blend the RNG from LRE into its existing natural gas distribution system.
SJI is thrilled to continue its commitment to decarbonization and RNG by investing in the Linden Renewable Energy facility. It’s a triple win for us—it repurposes food waste, generates renewable energy that our customers can benefit from, and bolsters our commitment to environmental stewardship. Through this flagship project, we’re actively contributing to a more sustainable, energy-efficient future for both our state and the environment, said Mike Renna, President and CEO of SJI.
Feedstock flexible
The LRE Project will accept a wide range of feedstock, including food waste from industrial, commercial, and institutional entities, as well as grease waste from restaurants and other food service establishments.
The LRE Project includes the development and construction of multiple off-site food waste pre-processing and depackaging operations in New York City (NYC), New York State, and New Jersey State.
The plant will have the capacity to process up to 1,475 tonnes of waste to produce up to 3,783MMBtu/day of RNG making it one of the largest plants of its kind in the United States.
The LRE Project will provide a sustainable and competitive waste management service within a 40-mile metro region with over 18 million residents. The same region has implemented aggressive organic waste diversion regulations that need a sustainable anaerobic digestion project solution. We are not aware of any project site within this proximity to NYC that affords the superior capacity to receive barges combined with close proximity to the I-95 transportation corridor. These optimized transportation logistics make the project the preferred low-carbon and low-cost provider of organic waste management services, said James Potter, President of RNG Energy Solutions.
Utilizing proven technology and partners
LRE has partnered with Phoenix Power Group as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) provider and will have “top-tier” equipment providers to bring this project to completion.
It has also strategically aligned with multiple waste haulers in New York City and New Jersey that will provide source-separated waste as part of their compliance with New York City and New Jersey organic waste diversion requirements.
A consortium of lenders led by Investec Bank plc raised project financing debt to support the construction and operation of the plant.
Captona recognizes this marquee investment in this food waste-to RNG plant in New York City and the New Jersey area as a major milestone in the growth of its Energy Transition Infrastructure portfolio of fuel cell, RNG, solar, and storage projects. This project will greatly contribute to reducing emissions and upcycling food waste, said Izzet Bensusan Founder and CEO of Captona.
The project will begin construction this month with a target completion date of Q1 2026.
The City of Linden has been a proud host community for the Project. This is another in a long list of renewable energy projects that the City has undertaken. We have supported the LRE Project throughout the planning phase and we definitely appreciate the investment in our City and the hundreds of union construction jobs that come with it. This is a long-term renewable and sustainable solution to waste management, and we look forward to our continued association with the Project and its sponsors, said Derek Armstead, Mayor of Linden.
