OPAL Fuels LLC, a vertically integrated producer and distributor of renewable natural gas (RNG), today announced it has commenced commercial operation of a new facility to extract and capture waste methane from Rumpke Waste & Recycling’s Noble Road Landfill, transform it into RNG and transport it through Chesapeake Utilities Corporation’s (NYSE: CPK) wholly owned subsidiary Aspire Energy of Ohio. An affiliate of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC is a joint owner of the project.

The new, state-of-the-art facility, located in Shiloh, Ohio, utilizes advanced, patented technology to treat landfill gas by removing carbon dioxide and other components to purify the biogas and produce pipeline quality RNG. Aspire Energy constructed a 33.1-mile pipeline, which will transport the RNG to the company’s pipeline system. The fuel will be dispensed at OPAL Fuels fueling stations and Rumpke trucks will also be fueled using this RNG, displacing diesel fuel.

The Noble Road project is expected to produce approximately 6.9 million gasoline gallon equivalents (GGE) per year of RNG. The project is also expected to reduce the landfill’s methane emissions by approximately 20,000 tons per year. Methane is 28 to 36 times more effective than CO₂ at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a 100-year period. Additionally, the project will help reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 48,000 tons per year. The expected annual emissions reduction from this project is equivalent to CO₂ emissions from over 54 million gallons of gasoline, approximately 1.1 million barrels of oil consumed, or carbon sequestered by more than 570,000 acres of U.S. forests in one year.

“We have worked closely with Rumpke and Aspire Energy to make the Noble Road biogas upgrading facility a reality,” said Adam Comora, Co-CEO of OPAL Fuels. “As an end-to-end producer and supplier of RNG, we are proud to work with landfill operators such as Rumpke to unlock new revenue streams, reduce methane emissions and help the heavy-duty transportation industry get to net-zero – truly a win-win-win scenario.”

“Working with OPAL Fuels to construct a state-of-the-art facility aligns with our vision to set industry standards for landfill management and operations,” said Andrew Rumpke, East Area President for Rumpke Waste & Recycling. “Our mission is to deliver complete service solutions that provide long-term, positive and sustainable environmental and economic impacts, and this project does just that.”

“We are pleased to collaborate with OPAL Fuels in transporting low-carbon renewable natural gas,” said Jeff Householder, president and chief executive officer, Chesapeake Utilities Corp. “This project supports our strategic decision to actively support the sustainability efforts of the communities we serve.”

RNG is the natural byproduct of landfill and animal waste, captured and processed before it leaks into the atmosphere or is required to be burned off, and represents a right now solution to the right now problem of climate change driven by methane emissions. The project demonstrates OPAL Fuels’ continued execution of its growth strategy, led by a proven team with a track record of delivering value from waste-to-energy. OPAL Fuels’ expertise at capturing methane at landfills and dairy farms helps its partners and customers accelerate their ESG goals while decarbonizing the heavy-duty trucking industry. Moreover, OPAL Fuels helps create new revenue streams for upstream partners and drive cost savings for downstream customers.

Source: OPAL Fuels LLC