BP-owned Archaea Energy and waste disposer Republic Services have brought the first of more than 40 landfill renewable natural gas plants online as part of their Lightning Renewables joint venture (JV).

The two companies marked the startup of the Archaea Modular Design (AMD) plant at Republic’s National Serv-All Landfill in Fort Wayne, Indiana, according to a June 13 news release.

Such projects involve turning methane that emits from decomposing waste at landfills into pipeline-quality gas. The RNG is used in the same ways as fossil gas but it has a lower carbon intensity. The fuel source is already playing a role in lowering emissions in the U.S. as the number of RNG projects grows.

BP Archaea
The Fort Wayne plant can process 6,400 cf of landfill gas per minute (scfm) into RNG. (Source BP Archaea Energy , Republic Services)

Instead of taking the custom build route for RNG plants, BP Archaea utilizes a modular design. Its RNG facilities are built on skids with interchangeable components. The design allows for faster builds than previous industry standards, the company said.

“From the start, our focus has been opening plants safely and reliably and demonstrating progress and growth,” Archaea Energy CEO Starlee Sykes said in the statement. “Continuing to build momentum with the Lightning Renewables JV, the Fort Wayne plant is just the beginning of this incredible partnership with Republic Services to capture landfill emissions and provide customers with lower emission, lower carbon fuel.”

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The Fort Wayne RNG facility is designed to process 6,400 cf of landfill gas per minute (scfm) into RNG, according to the release. Based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Landfill Gas Energy Benefits Calculator, that’s enough gas to heat more than 25,000 homes annually.

The JV’s planned buildout of RNG plants is expected to be largest of its kind for landfill RNG in the U.S. It is also expected to lift Republic’s landfill gas-to-energy portfolio to more than 100.

“Republic Services is investing in sustainability innovation to provide decarbonization solutions for our customers, and our Lightning Renewables partnership with Archaea Energy is a prime example,” said Republic Services CEO Jon Vander Ark. “We’re proud to celebrate the opening of the first of the 40-plus RNG projects in our portfolio. Together, we’re helping create a more sustainable world.”

Archaea and Republic Services plan to bring another RNG plant online in Indiana later this year. The 2,000-scfm AMD RNG plant will be located at Republic Services’ Sycamore Ridge Landfill in Pimento, Indiana, south of Terre Haute.