Breaking Ground: Transforming Waste to Energy - A Sustainable Triumph at Loess Hills RNG Facility

Waste Connections and ESI proudly introduce another landmark project, in collaboration with Kinder Morgan, and bp, unveiling a state-of-the-art Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) processing facility at the Loess Hills Regional Sanitary Landfill in Malvern, IA. This facility, crafted with precision over a two-year span by ESI, features a complex, multi-step processing plant engineered to convert landfill gas into methane, offering a remarkable advancement in the renewable energy landscape.  

The Facility focuses on waste-to-energy conversion by capturing landfill gas, which is primarily methane, and processing it into renewable natural gas. The produced RNG seamlessly integrates into Kinder Morgan's natural gas pipeline network. Through an offtake agreement, bp secures the RNG supply from Waste Connections to fuel transportation operations, solidifying the project's commercial and environmental impact in the RNG market.

“Waste Connections is thrilled to bring this project, which provides a beneficial use for a harmful greenhouse gas and creates a valuable energy source. Many thanks to all our partners for helping us get to this point,” said Mark Adams, Region Engineering Manager for Waste Connections’ Central Region. 

During its initial phase of operations, the facility efficiently processes 1,500 standard cubic feet of landfill gas into RNG per minute, establishing a notable standard for RNG production in the sustainability sector. Projections indicate a substantial growth trajectory, aiming towards increasing production to an ambitious 4,000 standard cubic feet per minute. This peak capacity represents the renewable energy output required to power more than 16,000 homes annually. At maximum capacity, the facility will effectively mitigate over 22,000 tons of methane (CH4) each year, equivalent to offsetting the CO2 emissions from more than 65 million gallons of gasoline consumed annually.

ESI spearheaded the entire process from development, design, through permitting, construction, and commissioning, and will oversee the cutting-edge RNG facility's operations. The primary processing components in the facility include CO₂ separation, Gas Compression, Blowers and Refrigeration, N₂ rejection systems, High Voltage Switchgear, Step-Up Transformer(s) and Industrial Grade Radiators/Silencers. These components are strategically housed within and around a sturdy metal structure, specifically engineered to enhance sound dampening. Complemented by essential supporting equipment and advanced gas and electrical interconnection infrastructure, the facility stands as a pinnacle of technical excellence in the RNG industry.

“ESI enjoyed leveraging its many years of experience dedicated exclusively to the biogas industry to design and build Waste Connections’ Loess Hills facility. The real win for ESI and all the stakeholders involved is that ESI will also operate the facility, relying on the intimate knowledge we have of the facility, having designed and built it,” said Benny Benson, president of ESI. 

The collaboration between Waste Connections, ESI, Kinder Morgan, and bp showcases a unified commitment to driving sustainable initiatives forward. The Loess Hills Regional Sanitary Landfill RNG processing facility not only signifies a leap forward in renewable energy solutions but also establishes a blueprint for future endeavors in the realm of environmental consciousness.

About ESI 

ESI, based in Sisters, OR, has been in the business since 2007 and specialize in design, construction, and operations of biogas utilization projects that collectively produce over 1 million MWh of renewable electricity and over 50 million gallons of renewable vehicle fuel every year.  

ESI’s engineering team has been integral in the engineering design of over 75 diverse biogas projects including renewable natural gas facilities, biogas-to-energy facilities, landfill gas collection and control projects, anaerobic digester projects, heat recovery and CHP projects, flare stations, and numerous other biogas and renewable fuels projects in the US, and abroad.