OPAL Fuels Begins Construction of RNG Plant in California

Renewable natural gas (RNG) firm OPAL Fuels Inc. has started construction on a new landfill-gas-to-RNG facility at the Kirby Canyon Landfill, located in Santa Clara County, California.

The facility will have an initial annual design capacity of approximately 0.66 million British thermal units (MMBtus) and is 100-percent owned by OPAL, the company said in a news release.

The project will capture biogas produced naturally from the decomposition of organic material from the Kirby Canyon Landfill and convert it into RNG, a low-carbon, low-cost transportation fuel.

According to OPAL, approximately 5.1 million gas gallons equivalent of RNG can be produced annually based on the design capacity of the plant.

The company noted that it plans to distribute the RNG via its fueling station network to heavy-duty trucks that run on natural gas instead of diesel to help lower emissions and reduce fuel costs.

“Beginning construction of our 17th RNG project, our first in California, continues the OPAL execution story of moving projects from development, through construction and into operations,” OPAL co-CEO Jonathan Maurer said.

Meanwhile, OPAL announced the start of commercial operations at its RNG facility at the Polk County municipal landfill in Jones Corner, Florida.

This marks the company’s eleventh operational RNG project and second facility in the state. Owned and operated by Polk County’s municipal government, the landfill provides biogas to OPAL’s RNG project, which is producing and injecting pipeline-quality RNG, according to a separate news release.

With a nameplate design capacity of approximately 1.1 million MMBtu, or 8.5 million gasoline gallon equivalent, of RNG per year, the product RNG will be primarily used to replace diesel transportation fuel to lower fleet operating costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting in a significant impact on public health and the environment. This reduction is equivalent to achieving zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from over 900 heavy-duty trucks, OPAL said.

“Polk County’s partnership with OPAL Fuels demonstrates our commitment to Polk County’s residents,” Polk County Board Chairman Bill Braswell said. “Polk County is leveraging the by-product of waste breakdown and, at the same time, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With the plant OPAL Fuels has constructed, landfill biogas will be turned into renewable natural gas, which can be used for fuel to power waste trucks, and provide energy for homes, and businesses. This is a win-win for taxpayers and the environment”.

“Polk County represents our eleventh operational RNG project and our third to commence commercial operations this year,” OPAL co-CEO Adam Comora said. “Including Polk County and our recent announcement with GFL at the Sapphire project, we have approximately 8.8 million MMBtu of annual nameplate design capacity in operation, up 5.0 million MMBtu since becoming a public company in 2022”.

“We’re pleased with the progress we’ve made as the largest publicly traded integrated RNG operator in North America. We continue to execute on our strategic objectives, moving RNG projects forward from construction into operation while growing our fueling station business and expanding our integrated footprint,” Comora added.

White Plains, N.Y.-based OPAL Fuels Inc. describes itself as a leader in the capture and conversion of biogas into low carbon intensity RNG and renewable electricity. The company said it is also a leader in the marketing and distribution of RNG to heavy duty trucking and other hard to de-carbonize industrial sectors.

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