Nopetro Renewables (Nopetro), a developer and operator of renewable natural gas (RNG) projects across North America, announced that it broke ground on Southern Florida’s first landfill gas-to-RNG facility in Indian River County. The US$40 million facility in Vero Beach, named Vero Beach Nopetro Eco District, is estimated to initially produce 3 million gallons (11.36 million liters) of RNG a year and prevent 33,069 tons (30,000 tonnes) of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, equivalent to eliminating emissions from 4300 passenger cars. This project, expected to be completed in early 2025, is the largest investment in Indian River County in the past three years, adding more than 40 local jobs through construction and operation.
The new facility will receive landfill gas, which is generated from organic waste decay within the landfill, and refine it into RNG, a fully interchangeable biogas and the lowest-carbon alternative fuel. After a purification process, the RNG will be pipeline ready, creating cleaner fuel for buses and trucks, and cleaner air for the surrounding community. It is estimated that the plant could provide as much as 80% of the natural gas used in Indian River County annually, offsetting fossil-based natural gas demand within the local community. “This facility is innovation at work, merging economic benefits and environmental benefits into one project,” said Indian River County Commission Chair Susan Adams.
Nopetro Renewables partnered with Mead & Hunt, an architectural, engineering, planning, and construction services firm, to design and construct the facility. “Through the execution of approximately 75 landfill gas-to-beneficial reuse projects across more than 25 states, Mead & Hunt’s team has a proven engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) approach to renewable energy project delivery,” said Doug Tholo, Energy Project Developer at Mead & Hunt.
In addition to its renewable production arm, Nopetro operates 15 RNG fueling facilities across Florida with plans for expansion. The RNG is compressed into compressed natural gas and is used to fuel transit and fleet operations. Nopetro currently fuels the entire transit system in Central Florida via a partnership with the Central Florida Transit Authority. All of Nopetro’s natural gas feedstock is produced via renewable sources, including landfills and wastewater treatment plants.
