Trash of the past, fueling the future: a chapter in the energy transition story

PENN VALLEY, PA, US, March 16, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- You likely don’t think twice about your trash once you take it to the curb. Hauled away to a faraway place, never to be seen or smelled again, garbage has a negative connotation that extends far beyond its literal definition.

But that faraway place is your local landfill, and that “garbage” offers a solution to today’s energy transition challenges.

“They are no longer dumps. They are modern renewable energy sources,” says Nicholas Stork, CEO of Archaea Energy, one of the companies at the forefront of converting landfill gas into pipeline-quality renewable natural gas (RNG). Although waste is not conventionally considered “renewable”, Archaea is redefining renewable.

A quick dive into the details shows that when organic waste decomposes in the absence of oxygen, it generates a gas called “biogas” that is roughly a 50/50 mixture of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Once processed and purified, the resulting RNG product is indistinguishable from geologic natural gas and can be used in all of the same applications.

Capturing and utilizing gas that would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere enables greenhouse gas emission reductions of up to 90% at the landfill, according to Stork. Further displacing geologic natural gas usage downstream with RNG offers a simple path to decarbonization for any industry or entity that consumes natural gas.

Archaea’s leadership is quite familiar with landfills, having grown out of Noble Environmental, a company who owns and operates two landfills and a refuse-hauling company in western Pennsylvania. Rather than outsourcing the development of a landfill gas upgrading facility at one of their sites, the team tackled the project themselves, completing it in half the time and at half the cost of outside estimates.

Others took notice, including investors. Archaea has earned the trust and support to continue transforming the RNG industry for all stakeholders.

Building trust starts at the landfill. “With our background as landfill owners, we understand the owners’ problems, like collecting and mitigating emissions,” said Stork. Not only does Archaea address CH4 emissions, but CO2 as well. Evaluating opportunities for CO2 capture and sequestration sounds like a job for a geologist, so it’s a good thing Archaea has one on the team.

With each project, Archaea takes a holistic approach to finding the best solutions that bring the most value to its partners. The team is made up of many of the foremost experts in RNG technology and industry, with combined experience on over 60 projects.

And what about the RNG? Once injected into the natural gas pipeline, the RNG can be nominated for use anywhere along the pipeline. “We can sell our RNG anywhere, but we like to partner with entities looking to decarbonize their energy usage,” Stork said. Those entities include utilities, universities, and corporations.

Another interesting application for RNG is in the production of renewable hydrogen, an increasingly popular topic among energy professionals. The most abundant element on earth, hydrogen is considered the fuel of the future and offers a path to deep decarbonization for many industries evolving throughout the energy transition.

Now that we’ve opened the trash bin and given it a sniff, we invite you to join in a deeper conversation at the First Annual Appalachian Hydrogen Carbon Capture Conference. Produced by Shale Directories and TopLine Analytics, the one-day conference will explore many of the challenges and opportunities of the energy industry today, with a special focus on the Appalachian region and its interests.

Archaea is proud to be the presenting sponsor for the conference. “Archaea Energy’s sponsorship and Nick Stork’s featured presentation will set the tone for the conference and the industry,” commented Joe Barone, President and Founder of Shale Directories.

The conference will take place on April 8th at the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh Southpointe, with options for both in-person and virtual attendance.

Joe Barone
Shale Directories
+1 610-764-1232
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