Natural Gas Reclamation Coming To County Landfill

Fairhope, Alabama 

 

 

New gas reclamation facility.

Rear view.

PUBLIC/PRIVATE PROJECT

A natural gas reclamation project partnership between the Baldwin County Commission and Viridi Energy, Inc. at the county's Magnolia Landfill in Summerdale that originated five years ago (click), and went through several iterations,  is scheduled to become operational this summer.

Methane gas is naturally released as organic materials collected from around the county and dumped and buried in the landfill decay; currently the gas is being collected and burned off using a flare.

The RNG facility is located on Landfill Drive, just within the landfill's entrance on CR 49. 

According to the EPA: "Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States, accounting for approximately 14.3 percent of these emissions in 2021. The methane emissions from MSW landfills in 2021 were approximately equivalent to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from nearly 23.1 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year or the CO₂ emissions from nearly 13.1 million homes’ energy use for one year. At the same time, methane emissions from MSW landfills represent a lost opportunity to capture and use a significant energy resource."

 

PRESS RELEASES ABOUT PROJECT

Viridi Partners with Alabama Landfill for RNG Project, as part of the firm’s Local and Municipal Waste to Value Strategy

Viridi is excited to announce a new project, in partnership with Baldwin County, Alabama, that advances our work to build North America’s leading RNG platform. Alongside county leaders, we are embarking on a new landfill renewable natural gas (RNG) project that will transform naturally occurring landfill emissions into clean energy. The facility is expected to produce more than 160,000 MMBtu of RNG annually.

The Baldwin County landfill in Summerdale, Alabama, will serve as the implementation site for this pioneering project. While the county’s landfill is relatively small compared to other projects in our portfolio and development pipeline, Viridi recognizes the immense potential of developing smaller-scale RNG projects. These smaller landfill sites present unique financial and development challenges, but they also represent a significant portion of the remaining landfill development opportunities in the US and Canada ... . BP, a global energy company, will serve as Viridi’s offtake partner, ensuring the successful distribution and utilization of the site’s RNG. The initial deal with Baldwin County was finalized in December 2022, setting the stage for the next phase of development. The target timeline for pipeline injection is Q3 of 2024. Additionally, Quadragen, a renowned RNG upgrading technology provider, has played a pivotal role in bringing this project to life.

Gas pipe to Magnolia landfill.