Rockingham County has selected Waga Energy, a global expert in the production of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from landfills, to produce RNG at the Rockingham County Landfill, located in Madison, NC. Following an award to Waga Energy as part of a public request for proposal (RFP), Waga Energy entered into a 20-year agreement with the county to install an RNG production facility at the Rockingham County Landfill using its patented WAGABOX® technology. Waga Energy will finance, build, own and operate the unit and share with Rockingham County the revenue generated from the sale of the RNG produced.
The WAGABOX® unit is expected to be commissioned in 2026 and will produce approximately 207,000 MMBtu per year of RNG, which will be injected directly into the local natural gas pipeline. A key pillar of the energy transition, RNG is a local, renewable energy source that substitutes fossil natural gas. The project will avoid 13,500 tons of CO2eq. per year based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculation methodology.
Rockingham County Landfill provides services to over 92,000 residents and receives an average of 100,000 tons of municipal waste annually. A result of 15 years of development, the WAGABOX® patented technology revolutionizes landfill gas upgrading by coupling membrane filtration with cryogenic distillation. It maximizes the renewable energy production of landfills by ensuring the production of pipeline-quality RNG, regardless of the landfill gas variations in flow rate and composition. Waga Energy operates 23 WAGABOX® units worldwide, including 3 units in North America. 13 more are under construction including 6 in the US.
Lance Metzler, Rockingham County Manager, said: “In late 2022, Rockingham County released a public RFP for the beneficial use of our landfill gas. We received multiple responses and through a committee began the process of vetting each proposer, ultimately selecting Waga Energy. From this evaluation we selected the best partner to support Rockingham County in monetizing our landfill gas, Waga Energy has the experience, passion, and technology to maximize the value of this waste resource. Through our partnership with Waga Energy, Rockingham County is proud to be utilizing our landfill gas to provide sustainable energy to our community. By upgrading our landfill gas into renewable natural gas, this project supports Rockingham County in reducing our landfill’s environmental impact, while generating new revenues for the county.”
Guénaël Prince, CEO of Waga Energy Inc. (USA), said: “We are proud to have been selected by Rockingham County as their partner to maximize the benefits of the landfill gas at the Rockingham County Landfill. Our WAGABOX® RNG facility will convert the landfill gas into a source of energy, fueling the local community and supporting the circular economy. This will be the first WAGABOX® unit in North Carolina and we are excited for the opportunity to contribute to RNG production in the state.”