Transforming waste into energy: Archaea Energy and Rumpke bring online two state-of-the-art renewable natural gas plants in Ohio
Today, bp’s Archaea Energy (NYSE: BP) and Rumpke Waste & Recycling celebrate the startup of two new renewable natural gas (RNG) plants, built using Archaea’s Modular Design (AMD) technology, at two Rumpke landfills in Southern Ohio.
The milestone was marked with a ribbon cutting at each plant. Located approximately 40 minutes apart, the plants are adjacent to the Beech Hollow Landfill in Wellston, Ohio, and Pike Sanitation Landfill in Waverly, Ohio – both owned by Rumpke Waste and Recycling.
Landfill gas, a natural byproduct of the decomposition of waste in landfills, is a form of greenhouse gas. Using the AMD process, the Beech Hollow and Pike County plants capture the gas from Rumpke’s landfills and convert it to renewable natural gas (RNG), which can lead to cleaner air and more sustainable energy when compared with traditional fossil fuel energy, according to the US EPA.
"The opening of these two plants marks a significant milestone not only for Archaea, but for the Buckeye state and its communities to drive change for lower carbon energy," said Craig Marcum, vice president of operations for Archaea Energy. “These plants continue our efforts to scale innovative technologies.”
The two landfills combined can process 6,200 cubic feet of landfill gas per minute (scfm) into RNG – enough gas to heat around 25,238 homes annually, according to the EPA’s Landfill Gas Energy Benefits Calculator. The Beech Hollow Landfill can process 3,200 scfm and the Pike Sanitation Landfill can process 2,000 scfm. Traditionally, RNG plants have been custom built, but the AMD technology allows plants to be built on skids with interchangeable components. Using a standardized modular design can lead to a faster build than previous industry standards.
“Rumpke was among the first to implement green technology at landfills back in 1986. Today we continue to look for innovative ways to increase sustainability.” said Jake Rumpke, area vice president, Rumpke. “The Beech Hollow and Pike Sanitation Landfill projects add to our network of nine landfill gas-to-energy plants at our landfills. These recovery systems provide enough energy for more than 70,000 homes as well as fuel for a small portion of our truck fleet. We are excited to expand these sustainable practices to this part of the state. This plant will provide our Southern Ohio customers assurance that their waste is not only being properly managed – but beneficially reused.”
Archaea is the largest RNG producer in the US and enhances bp's ability to support customers’ decarbonization goals and progressing its aim to reduce the average lifecycle carbon intensity of the energy products it sells.
About Archaea Energy
Archaea Energy, a bp-owned company, is the largest RNG producer in the U.S., with an industry-leading platform and expertise in developing, constructing, and operating RNG facilities to capture waste emissions and convert them into low carbon fuel. Additional information is available at bp.com/Archaea.
About Rumpke Waste & Recycling
Rumpke Waste & Recycling has been keeping homes and businesses clean for nearly 100 years. Today, Rumpke employs over 4,400 environmental experts servicing millions of customers across Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and West Virginia. The award-winning family-owned company operates 16 landfills, 26 transfer stations and 16 recycling centers. Other Rumpke divisions include Rumpke Portable Restrooms, Rumpke Haul-it-Away and Rumpke Hydraulics, as well as environmental solutions company The William-Thomas Group. For more information, visit rumpke.com.