LOWER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — One person's trash is another person's gas.
Such is that reality with the official opening of a renewable natural gas plant adjacent to Bethlehem Landfill on Tuesday morning.
Archaea Energy, a subsidiary of BP, and Waste Connections Inc., celebrated the opening of its first renewable natural gas plant in Pennsylvania with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the landfill site on Applebutter Road.
"We look forward to the positive impact of this process will have on our community," said Astor Lawson, Bethlehem Landfill district manager.
The Bethlehem plant converts landfill gas, a natural byproduct of the decomposition of waste, collected from the Bethlehem Landfill into renewable natural gas, or RNG.
RNG is among the most effective ways to decarbonize existing natural gas pipelines and deliver carbon-neutral energy alternatives to municipalities, major corporations, colleges and universities and the transportation sector.
The plant is among 18 active RNG sites in the US.
The average cost to build such a plant is $40 million to $100 million.
'This is a positive step'
The Bethlehem facility currently has 180 collection wells that can process up to 3,500 standard cubic feet of landfill gas per minute into RNG.
That's enough gas to heat more than 14,000 homes annually, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Landfill Gas Energy Benefits Calculator.
"What we're doing here in Bethlehem is taking what used to be a waste byproduct — landfill gas — and turning it into pipeline quality natural gas," Steven Boor, head of operations for Archaea Energy, said at the ribbon cutting.
"We do that through a series of compression and filtering devices and conditioning processes to clean the gas coming from the landfill — natural biodegradation, 50 percent methane — coming into our plant from underground pipes and out of the end of our plant."
"I think this will be good for the environment and the residents who live around here."Priscilla deLeon, Lower Saucon Township councilwoman
RNG's use can lead to local air quality benefits and an increase and diversity of domestic energy production, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Lower Saucon Township Councilwoman Priscilla deLeon has been a vocal opponent of the landfill expansion and the odor emanating from the 224-acre site.
But deLeon said she views the RNG process as a positive step toward reducing the odors as well as gaining the benefits of gas from decomposing trash.
"I think this will be good for the environment and the residents who live around here," she said. "The old flame did not do a good job of burning off the methane.
"This plant will reduce the methane. This is a positive step."
The plant is owned by Waste Connections and came online in July.
Largest RNG producer in the U.S.
The partnership between Archaea and Waste Connections spans several years.
In addition to the new RNG plant in Bethlehem, Archaea owns and operates similar plants adjacent to landfills owned by Waste Connections in Nebraska, New York and Oklahoma.
Landfills are a popular source because they provide a predictable, long-term production profile.Archaea Energy
The companies also have plants that convert landfill gas to electricity in Washington, Colorado and Oregon.
With the 2022 acquisition of Archaea, BP is the largest RNG producer in the United States.
The company said that enhances its ability to support customers’ decarbonization goals and its aim to reduce the average lifecycle carbon intensity of the energy products it sells.
RNG can be used in place of fossil fuel-based natural gas and has many applications, including:
- Transportation: As a replacement for diesel fuel in vehicles
- Power generation: For generating power
- Heating: As a heat source in buildings
- Industry: For industrial applications
- Renewable hydrogen: As a feedstock for renewable hydrogen
Archaea Energy's facilities use biogas sources such as landfills, animal manure and separated organic waste.
Landfills are a popular source because they provide a predictable, long-term production profile, Archaea said.
Archaea Energy's modular design lets plants be built on skids with interchangeable components, which can lead to faster construction than previous methods.
BP said it plans to grow Archaea Energy. The company plans to build 15 RNG plants each year over the next couple of years.
