bp’s Archaea Energy Begins Operation at Medora RNG Plant

Archaea Energy, a subsidiary of bp, started operation of its Archaea modular design (AMD) renewable natural gas (RNG) plant in Medora, IN. The plant can process 3,200 cubic feet of landfill gas per minute into RNG. This process produces enough natural gas to heat over 13,000 homes per year, according to the EPA’s Landfill Gas Energy Benefits Calculator.

“Our family company is constantly looking for technologies to lessen our overall impact and further our efforts to protect and preserve the environment,” said Jeff Rumpke, Area President, Rumpke Waste & Recycling. “The addition of Archaea Energy’s RNG plant at our site will help further reduce emissions and give residents and businesses assurance that their waste is not only being properly disposed of but also being put to good use.”

Medora RNG plant at Rumpke landfill; Image Credits: bp

Landfill gas is a byproduct of decaying organic and inorganic waste at a dump site, entering the atmosphere as a form of greenhouse gas (GHG). The AMD system captures GHGs from the adjacent landfill owned by Rumpke Waste and Recycling and transforms the gas into electricity, heat, or RNG. The conversion of gas-to-energy filters landfill byproducts from the air and provides sustainable energy in comparison to fossil-based burning.

In atypical fashion for RNG plant construction, bp’s AMD system allows the facility to be built on skids with universal, interchangeable components. The use of a standard modular design will decrease the time of construction for any given plant.

“What we are doing at the Medora plant is just the beginning of what’s to come at Archaea. This is a powerful step forward in our net-zero journey to capture landfill emissions and provide customers with lower emission, lower carbon fuel,” said Starlee Sykes, CEO Archaea Energy. “Our goal is to safely bring several AMD plants online this year. I’m in awe of our team who designed, engineered, and built this facility, and we can’t wait to bring more online across the United States.”

The Medora RNG plant is an aspect of bp’s plan to target an increase in biogas supply volumes six-fold by 2030, producing about 70,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily.