BP's Archaea Energy, Republic Services launch first RNG plant in Fort Wayne
BP-owned Archaea Energy and Republic Services announced on June 13 the launch of the first renewable natural gas (RNG) plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Archaea Modular Design (AMD) plant at Republic’s National Serv-All Landfill is the first of approximately 40 landfill gas-to-RNG projects targeted by the companies’ Lightning Renewables joint venture and is scheduled to come online this summer.
Traditionally, RNG plants have been custom-built, but AMD allows plants to be built on skids with interchangeable components. Using a standardised modular design leads to faster builds than previous industry standards. The Fort Wayne AMD plant will convert landfill gas, a natural byproduct of the decomposition of waste collected from Republic Services’ landfill, into RNG.
Once in operation, the Fort Wayne plant is expected to process up to 6,400 ft3/minute into RNG—enough gas to heat more than 25,000 homes annually, according to the US EPA’s Landfill Gas Energy Benefits Calculator.
With the acquisition of Archaea, BP now stands as the largest RNG producer in the US, it said. The acquisition was completed in January 2023. BP launched the first RNG plant post the Archaea acquisition in October last year. The Lightning Renewables joint venture portfolio supports Archaea’s intended growth to greater than 50 mmbtu/year by 2030.
The Lightning Renewables RNG projects directly support Republic Services’ long-term sustainability goal to beneficially reuse 50% more biogas by 2030. The JV’s portfolio of projects will bring Republic’s total landfill gas-to-energy portfolio to more than 100.