bp's Archaea Energy Launches First-of-a-Kind RNG Plant
BP p.l.c.
bp's Archaea Energy has announced the official commencement of operations at its innovative Archaea Modular Design (AMD) renewable natural gas (RNG) facility in Medora, Indiana.
Situated adjacent to Rumpke Waste and Recycling's landfill, this marks the first plant to become operational since bp's acquisition of Archaea in December 2022.
Landfill gas, which naturally occurs during the decomposition of waste in landfills, is a type of greenhouse gas. Using the AMD design, the Medora plant captures gas from Rumpke's landfill and converts it into electricity, heat, or renewable natural gas. This process results in cleaner air, reduced odours, and a more sustainable energy source when compared to traditional fossil fuels.
The Medora plant can process 3,200 cubic feet of landfill gas per minute (scfm) into RNG—enough to provide heat for approximately 13,026 homes annually, according to the EPA's Landfill Gas Energy Benefits Calculator.
Starlee Sykes, CEO of Archaea Energy, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "What we are accomplishing at the Medora plant is truly remarkable, and it's just the beginning of our journey at Archaea.
"This represents a significant stride in our pursuit of net zero emissions by capturing landfill emissions and supplying customers with lower-emission, lower-carbon fuel.
"Our objective is to safely bring several AMD plants online this year. I'm immensely proud of our team, who designed, engineered, and constructed this facility, and we look forward to expanding our presence across the United States."
Traditionally, RNG plants have been custom-built, but the Archaea Modular Design allows for the construction of plants on skids with interchangeable components. This standardised modular design streamlines the construction process, resulting in faster builds compared to previous industry standards.
Starlee Sykes, CEO of Archaea Energy, reiterated the significance of their work at the Medora plant, stating, "What we are accomplishing at the Medora plant is truly remarkable, and it's just the beginning of our journey at Archaea. This represents a significant stride in our pursuit of net zero emissions by capturing landfill emissions and supplying customers with lower-emission, lower-carbon fuel."
Jeff Rumpke, Area President of Rumpke Waste & Recycling, remarked, "Our family-owned company is constantly seeking innovative technologies to reduce our overall environmental impact and further our commitment to environmental protection and preservation. The addition of Archaea Energy's RNG plant at our site will help further mitigate emissions and provide residents and businesses with the assurance that their waste is not only being disposed of responsibly but also being repurposed for positive use."
With the acquisition of Archaea, bp has become the largest RNG producer in the United States. This development enhances bp's ability to assist customers in achieving their decarbonisation objectives and aligns with its goal to reduce the average lifecycle carbon intensity of the energy products it offers.
Bioenergy stands as one of bp's five strategic transition growth engines, with plans to rapidly expand throughout this decade, targeting approximately $2 billion in EBITDA by 2025 and over $4 billion by 2030. In addition to bioenergy, bp's transition growth engines include convenience, EV charging, renewables and power, and hydrogen.
bp anticipates investing up to an additional $8 billion in its transition growth businesses over this decade to make them account for more than 40% of its total annual capital expenditure by 2025, eventually targeting around 50% by 2030.
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Source: bp
