Vision RNG Enters 20-Year Deal on Landfill-Sourced Gas

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Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Vision RNG (Canonsburg, Pennsylvania) signed a long-term deal with L.P. Gill Incorporated, a subsidiary of Waste Connections (The Woodlands, Texas), to convert natural gas drawn from the decomposition of organic matter in landfills into renewable natural gas (RNG) at a facility in Nebraska.

A 20-year agreement to convert organic matter in landfills into a usable form of natural gas is emblematic of a circular economy, Vision RNG said. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Alternative Fuels Plant Database can learn more from a detailed plant profile.

"By capturing and converting methane into clean RNG, we are not only reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also beneficially repurposing the gas in a sustainable manner," Bill Johnson, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Vision RNG, said Thursday.

Vision RNG's portfolio is expanding. It's already involved in a facility in Missouri that could meet the demands of nearly 8,800 homes with pipeline-quality gas drawn from landfill emissions. Subscribers can learn more from a detailed plant profile.

The decomposition of organic matter gives off methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas but also a main component of conventional natural gas. Vision RNG believes the facility in Nebraska will be able to process about 1,200 cubic feet per minute of feedstock into RNG.

"The addition of L.P. Gill Landfill to our growing portfolio of RNG projects is a significant step forward," Johnson said.

RNG is finding its footing as a low-carbon alternative to natural gas, making it a key component of the energy transition away from conventional fossil fuels. The methane derived from the decomposition of organic matter typically is about 50% pure, so it needs to be treated to remove any impurities to reach a near-pure level of 95% or greater.

A recent report from Deloitte found uncaptured methane from municipal waste and wastewater treatment streams is one of the largest sources of U.S.-based methane emissions. If captured and utilized, methane as RNG could replace about 4.4% of U.S. natural gas demand.

Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden had worked to tackle methane emissions for much of his term. The administration believes that controlling methane emissions will have a near-immediate impact on climate change.

Recently, the Biden administration introduced its Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, which includes tackling methane emissions from landfills. It said that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) views this as an initiative to cut the amount of food and other organic waste that winds up in landfills.

"EPA is also boosting its voluntary landfill methane outreach program to achieve a national goal of 70% methane emissions capture for all landfills around the country," the administration announced November 2.

President-elect Donald Trump, however, is not expected to be as strict on the environment as Biden, tapping Chris Wright, the chief executive officer of Denver-based Liberty Energy, to run the Energy Department.

With Biden's energy initiatives packed with incentives, however, it's unlikely that progress will be erased, as evidenced by Vision RNG's 20-year commitment.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).