BP launches first RNG facility since Archaea acquisition
Global major BP said October 4 its Archaea Energy, which it acquired in December 2022, has launched its first renewable natural gas (RNG) facility since the transaction.
The plant, an original Archaea Modular Design (AMD) facility, processes 3,200 ft3/minute of landfill gas from the Rumpke Waste and Recycling landfill near Medora, Indiana into enough RNG to heat more than 13,000 homes annually.
“This is a powerful step forward in our net zero journey to capture landfill emissions and provide customers with lower emission, lower carbon fuel,” Archaea CEO Starlee Sykes said. “Our goal is to safely bring several AMD plants online this year.”
RNG plants have traditionally been custom built, but the modular design Archaea has developed allows plants to be built on skids with interchangeable components. This leads to faster builds than previous industry standards.
With the acquisition of Archaea, BP is now the largest RNG producer in the US, with bioenergy one of five strategic growth engines it is developing, alongside hydrogen, convenience, EV charging and renewables and power. It expects to invest $8bn in these engines this decade, to reach 40% of its total annual capital expenditures by 2025 and 50% by 2030.