Waga Energy launches first US landfill gas to RNG project

The Steuben County landfill is the first in the US to adopt WAGABOX® technology.
The unit, commissioned on 15 March, will inject up to 207,000 MMBtu (60 GWh) per year of biomethane into the gas distribution network, which represents the equivalent to the consumption of 5,200 households, according to the company.
The implementation of this technology will avoid the emission of 13,500 tons of eqCO2 per year, it added.
Steuben County is home to almost 99,000 inhabitants, and its landfill processes up to 150,000 tons of waste a year.
In July 2020, the county launched a request for proposal for a project to upgrade the landfill gas previously flared.
Following this RFP, Waga Energy began the development of a WAGABOX unit, which is now fully completed.
The company will operate and maintain the unit under a 20-year biogas purchase agreement with Steuben County.
The equipment was built in North America, with the exception of the cryogenic distillation module, which was imported from France.
"We are excited to partner with Waga Energy to develop this renewable natural gas project. This is a wonderful example of a public-private endeavour that provides significant environmental benefits to the citizens of Steuben County," said Christopher Brewer, deputy county manager of Steuben County.
"The commissioning of the WAGABOX unit at the Steuben County Landfill is a major milestone in the deployment of our solution in the United States, and a further step towards decarbonisation," said Guénaël Prince, CEO of Waga Energy Inc. (USA).
"As the first commissioning unit in the United States, we are appreciative of Steuben County's trust in Waga Energy to be selected for this project. We commend Steuben County for being innovative, and the first county in the United States to adopt our breakthrough technology."