Synthica Energy Begins Construction on New RNG Facility in Georgia

Synthica Energy put first shovels in the ground at a new renewable natural gas (RNG) facility in Rome, GA, just north of Atlanta. The facility, named Synthica Rome, is the first of its kind in the Greater Atlanta region and is expected to divert approximately 250,000 tons of waste from local landfills per year. Synthica Rome is the company’s third RNG facility under development and, last year, construction began on the first facility developed by Synthica in Cincinnati, OH, which is scheduled for operation in 2025.

"We are excited to welcome Synthica Energy to Rome and Floyd County and celebrate this groundbreaking ceremony with them," said Missy Kendrick, President & CEO of the Rome-Floyd County Development Authority. “This is the newest addition to Synthica's national portfolio, and it represents a milestone in our region's commitment to eco-friendly, sustainable development investments. Synthica's facility will give our manufacturers an effective and accessible solution for handling their organic waste and turning it into clean, renewable energy. We've supported Synthica throughout their site evaluation process and look forward to watching this new facility come to life."

Employees put shovels in ground at Synthica Rome; image credit: Business Wire

Food and beverage manufacturers and additional customers will have less distance to transport their pre-consumer waste, lowering costs and cutting emissions. Synthica Rome’s anaerobic digestion technologies will create RNG while removing thousands of tons of CO₂ and methane from the atmosphere annually.

“Anaerobic digestion represents a huge opportunity to grow the footprint of renewable energy in the United States using feedstocks that are otherwise wasted,” said Sam Schutte, Co-Founder and CEO of Synthica Energy. “It’s really a chance to redefine waste management for food and beverage manufacturers and create a mutually beneficial opportunity for the cities where we’re building. Capital investment, job growth, and the chance to create an eco-friendlier footprint, all while giving local manufacturers access to a sustainable solution to the nation’s growing food waste problem.”

Last month, the company broke ground on Synthica San Antonio, and upcoming development targets include Houston, Louisville, and New Orleans. In addition to these planned sites, Synthica will target clean-energy facilities in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New York, and Pennsylvania.

“At Synthica Energy, sustainability is so much more than the business of converting organic waste into renewable natural gas,” said Grant Gibson, Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer of Synthica Energy. “It’s our entire culture — from waste stream disposal pricing to anaerobic digestion services to a waste-to-energy platform that makes our world a better place. Now we’re taking that business model to the Rome/Atlanta area, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Synthica San Antonio

In late September, regional business leaders, as well as Synthica co-founders Grant Gibson and Sam Schutte, put first shovels in the ground at Synthica San Antonio—a project slated for completion in 2026. The facility is the first-of-its-kind in San Antonio and may divert nearly 250,000 tons of waste from local landfills each year. The anaerobic digester under-construction in San Antonio will utilize technology that transforms waste into renewable energy. Advanced storage, odor control, and pre-treatment options, that became available as the technology evolved, allow digesters to be compatible with urban areas.