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Renewable energy is a key project in Virginia. Multiple groups are trying to find new and cheaper ways of generating electricity, to in turn power development and growth. Here in Lunenburg, Meridian Waste started a multi-million dollar project in 2023, with the goal of converting the landfill gas (LFG) at the landfill into a renewable natural gas processing plant. Now the question is when will that be operational? 

Originally scheduled to be completed in Fall 2023, the timeline has been pushed back several times. Meridian officials now estimate the project should start construction within a two-year period. As for what caused the delay? Meridian Chief Marketing Officer Mary O’Brien said that was due to supply chain issues. 

Explaining gas processing plants

Landfills emit up to 17% of US greenhouse gas emissions, half of which are methane. Traditionally, landfills dispose of this gas through a combustion flare, a contained flame that burns off excess gas.

An alternative involves capturing and using landfill gas to generate energy for transportation fuel, electricity, and heat. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, turning LFG into Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), referred to as “upgrading” or “conditioning,” could lessen our dependence on fossil fuels such as coal and oil.

As waste decomposes, it releases natural biogas, often characterized by the rotten egg smell wafting from landfills. One way or another, this gas has to be disposed of.

Modern landfills have collection systems containing LFG, either combusting it via flare or diverting it to an on-site facility to convert it into energy. Recognizing LFG as a valuable resource, Meridian Waste, in partnership with Vision RNG, has initiated clean energy projects at multiple landfills. Their Missouri landfill announced a fully operational RNG processing plant in 2023. 

Meridian Waste, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a trash collection and recycling company with a bold commitment to clean energy. They’re responsible for the Lunenburg Landfill and announced plans to develop RNG processing at the site in 2023, investing millions in the project.

Meridian runs into some challenges 

Over the past three years, Meridian Waste has focused on expanding collection systems and wells beneath the landfill and upgrading its electrical systems to power the RNG plant. In 2022, a new combustion flare was installed to dispose of gas while Meridian optimized gas collection and reassessed the project’s schedule. 

These same efforts at Eagle Ridge Landfill brought to life the first RNG project of its kind in Missouri. Meridian Waste’s proud partner, Vision RNG, announced the plant’s opening, saying, “The energy, environmental, and economic benefits are significant for all parties.” Vision RNG identifies potential sites for RNG processing, bringing decades of experience in waste disposal and natural gas infrastructure to their partnerships. So far, they have successfully opened two RNG plants, have another two under contract, and are developing 10 additional sites nationwide, including the Lunenburg Landfill. 

Meridian Waste’s focus for 2025 is evaluating gas flows and gas composition to begin the engineering phase. Construction here in Lunenburg is tentatively planned to begin in 2027, with startup and commissioning of the RNG processing plant to start the following year. Once the gas is converted, Meridian Waste will inject RNG into a pipeline at the facility and sell it to firms that have committed to a low or zero-emission energy supply.

Destroying LFG reduces odors, preserves air quality, and prevents methane from entering the atmosphere, contributing to smog and climate change. Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) permits landfills to burn off methane gas in a combustion flare. However, recycling and upgrading LFG enables landfills to further give back to their communities.

RNG is an ultra-low carbon transportation fuel and renewable energy resource that can power anything that runs on natural gas. Once the plant is up and running, company officials believe it could power businesses and communities in Lunenburg, making RNG an environmentally friendly solution that benefits the greater community.

Editor’s note: Reporter Essie Somma wrote this story for the Kenbridge-Victoria Dispatch.