Ameresco, a cleantech integrator specialising in energy efficiency and renewable energy, has achieved commercial operation at its landfill gas to renewable natural gas (RNG) plant at Republic Services’ Benson Valley Landfill in Frankfort, Kentucky in the US.
The Benson Valley facility has a gross nameplate in excess of 483,552 Dekatherms per year and is capable of processing 2,000 scfm of raw landfill gas, according to the company.
Ameresco broke ground on the project in June 2022 and reached commercial operation in August 2023.
As a result of this collaborative, long-term partnership, Benson Valley Landfill said it will reduce 27,440 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, a figure that is roughly equivalent to the carbon sequestered by planting 325,899 acres of forests or 31 million gallons of gasoline not being combusted.
“At Republic Services, our vision is to partner with customers to create a more sustainable world now and for future generations,” said Republic Services area president Larson Richardson.
“Our long-standing partnership with Ameresco enables us to capture naturally occurring gas created by decomposing waste in our landfill and convert that gas into a low-carbon fuel source that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The Benson Valley RNG facility is just another example of us living our values; we are Sustainability in Action.”
Among the benefits of this project, the completion of this work ensures that clean energy resources are available for the regional economy and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions within the environment, added Ameresco.
These benefits directly contribute to Republic Services’ long-term sustainability goal to beneficially reuse 50% more of their biogas by 2030, it continued.
This is Ameresco’s eighth renewable energy project with Republic with another ten projects in various stages of development, permitting or construction.
“Achieving nationwide carbon neutrality necessitates the collective contributions of a diversified portfolio of technologies; there is no singular solution. It will also require a voluntary commitment to such cause from across all sectors,” said Michael Bakas, executive vice president of Ameresco.
“Republic Services has made such a commitment, and we at Ameresco are profoundly fortunate to embark on this sustainability journey alongside them. Our collaboration harnesses advanced technologies to convert a byproduct of human activity into dependable and dispatchable renewable energy.”
Ameresco RNG plant begins commercial operation in Kentucky
