Florida’s First: Construction Begins on Facility that Will Convert Landfill Methane to Renewable Natural Gas

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Construction has begun on a facility that will capture and convert approximately 1,900 dekatherms per day of landfill methane and convert it to renewable natural gas (RNG).

Fortistar, a firm that acquires and manages companies and projects that address global environmental challenges, and the New River Solid Waste Association (NRSWA) have collaborated on the project in Raiford, Florida.

The project, formally known as the New River RNG Project, will collect naturally occurring methane from the NRSWA municipal solid waste landfill, convert it to RNG and use it to fuel natural gas vehicles via TruStar Energy, a Fortistar company. At full output, the New River facility will extract 2,500 standard cubic feet per minute of landfill gas and produce 5.1 million gas gallon equivalents (GGE) of RNG per year. The overall project reduces emissions by 35,000 tons of CO2 per year.

This will be the first project to convert gas from a municipal solid waste landfill to RNG in Florida.

According to the EPA, landfill gas presents a major opportunity to capture and use a significant and often-wasted energy resource. Landfill gas, which is roughly 50% methane, is a natural byproduct of the decomposition of organic material in landfills. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) that traps 28 to 36 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. The EPA also notes that municipal solid waste landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the US, accounting for 15.1% of these emissions in 2018. EPA data also highlights the transportation sector as one of the largest contributors to US GHG emissions accounting for 28% in 2018.

The New River RNG project includes the construction of a new facility that will utilize advanced, patented technology to treat landfill gas by removing carbon dioxide and other components to purify the gas and produce pipeline quality RNG. The process includes proprietary membranes provided by Air Liquide. The new facility will also involve a Vilter Single Screw Gas Compressor, which delivers longer life, higher reliability and better energy efficiency.