A renewable natural gas facility at the Outagamie County landfill is fully operational and collecting methane gas that is converted to natural gas.
Representatives from Outagamie County, Outagamie County Recycling & Solid Waste, and project developer and operator, Terreva Renewables, celebrated the completion with a ribbon cutting March 1.
“We’re excited to celebrate this facility going operational,” said Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson. “It’s a great way to make use of the landfill’s environmentally managed byproducts by turning them into positives that are both good for the environment and provides support through the shared proceeds from the sale of the gas. This allows Outagamie County residents to continue recycling and keeps waste services among the lowest cost in the state. It’s a great example of a public/private partnership and we are pleased to partner with Terreva Renewables to create this opportunity.”
Outagamie County Recycling & Solid Waste Superintendent Greg Parins echoed Nelson’s sentiment.
“Following the closure of the cogeneration energy facility in 2020, that used the landfill methane to produce electricity, it was important for our team to find a new partner to take advantage of this valuable resource,” said Parins. “Terreva is a great partner and we appreciate how easy it was to collaborate with them and the benefits this partnership creates.”
The natural gas distributed, via pipeline, for direct sale or for trade as credits under the terms of the Federal Renewable Fuel Standards program. The gas will be used predominantly by fleet owners with vehicles such as large trucks and buses that run on natural gas instead of diesel. It is anticipated that use of the gas will replace 4 million gallons of gasoline annually and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The new facility also provides a direct economic benefit as a portion of the funds generated from the sale of the natural gas is returned to the county and will be used to help stabilize tipping fees and support internal recycling and solid waste programs.
“The tipping fee, or charge per ton of waste disposed of at the landfill, allows curbside recycling pickup to remain free to residents,” said Parins. “We’re among the lowest tipping fees in the state. We’re very proud of that and it’s a tribute to the excellent team we have at OCRSW and the creative ways in which we seek to generate new revenue streams.”
Among its additional community benefits, the collection and processing of the landfill gas reduces the need to flare or burn the gas, which aids in diminishing the odor typically associated with decaying refuse in the landfill. In addition, a portion of the revenue generated from the sale of gas will be returned to the county which helps to offset OCRSW’s overall operating costs.
The project will create six new permanent jobs for operators and technicians.
