Archaea Energy, a BP-owned entity, has announced the start-up of its renewable natural gas (RNG) facility in Medora, Indiana, US.
Built using the Archaea Modular Design (AMD), the plant is located next to a landfill owned by Rumpke Waste and Recycling.
Landfill gas, a type of greenhouse gas, is released as a natural byproduct when the waste in landfills decomposes.
The Rumpke's landfill gas is captured by the Medora plant and transformed into electricity, heat or RNG using the AMD design.
When compared with conventional fossil fuel energy, RNG leads to cleaner air, less odour and more sustainable energy.
Currently, Archaea’s plant has the capacity to convert 3,200 cubic feet of landfill gas per minute into RNG.
This is the first facility to commence operations since bp’s $4.1bn (£3.37bn) acquisition of Archaea in 2022.
bp claimed that it is currently the biggest RNG producer in the US after purchasing Archaea.
In this decade, bp aims to invest a further $8bn to support its energy transition, with bioenergy being one of the strategic pillars.
Archaea Energy CEO Starlee Sykes said: “What we are doing at the Medora plant is phenomenal and it is just the beginning of what is to come at Archaea. This is a powerful step forward in our net-zero journey to capture landfill emissions and provide customers with lower-emission, lower-carbon fuel.
“Our goal is to safely bring several AMD plants online this year. I am in awe of our team who designed, engineered and built this facility and we cannot wait to bring more online across the US.”
Conventionally, RNG plants have been built as per custom design. However, Archaea explained that AMD allows facilities to be built on skids featuring interchangeable components, and using standardised modular design also reduces time taken to build the facility.
Rumpke Waste & Recycling area president Jeff Rumpke said: “The addition of Archaea Energy’s RNG plant at our site will help further reduce emissions and give residents and businesses assurance that their waste is not only being properly disposed of – but also being put to good use.”
