New landfill biogas project will convert methane waste into clean fuel

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Liz Elliott, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director, recently announced a new renewable energy facility at the Bluff Road Landfill, 6001 Bluff Road, that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by turning methane gas emitted by landfill waste into renewable natural gas (RNG).

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City Council member Tom Beckius, Lincoln Mayor Gaylor Baird, Liz Elliott, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director, Kim Morrow, Lincoln Chief Sustainability Officer and Norman Herrera, Sparq Renewables CEO (Photo: Business Wire)

A partnership between the City of Lincoln and Sparq Renewables will help protect Lincoln’s air quality while increasing the efficiency and sustainability of Lincoln’s landfill operations. The landfill biogas facility, one of Mayor Gaylor Baird’s 13 priority pillar projects, will also advance the City’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals outlined in its Climate Action Plan.

“By changing a harmful waste product into a valuable and marketable asset, we will increase the efficiency of Lincoln’s landfill operations, reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance our community’s top-ranked air quality,” Mayor Gaylor Baird said. “Our landfill biogas project is an effort that makes dollars and sense.”

Sparq Renewables of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma will finance, build, and operate the renewable natural gas facility on the west side of the landfill. The project will cost an estimated nearly $50 million and is expected to begin in December, with a completion date of winter 2026.

The landfill produces 1,500 standard cubic feet of methane per minute, which is the equivalent of four megawatts of electricity – enough to power 4,300 houses per year.

The City will receive a percentage of the proceeds from Sparq’s RNG sales. Over the course of the 25-year agreement, the City expects to generate more than $96 million in RNG sales.

Joining Mayor Gaylor Baird at the news conference were Liz Elliott, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director; Norman Herrera, Sparq Renewables CEO; Kim Morrow, Lincoln Chief Sustainability Officer and City Council member Tom Beckius.

In addition to capturing and transforming greenhouse gases into products like vehicle fuel, Elliott said, the biogas facility will help subsidize landfill maintenance.

“We are pioneering the way in showing how sustainability innovations can drive both economic and environmental progress, reduce emissions, contribute to a healthier city and planet, and generate revenue for reinvestment back into the important waste management services we provide to Lincoln community members,” Elliott said.

Morrow said reducing emissions from landfills is one of the most impactful steps the City can take toward achieving its climate and sustainability goals. Over the lifetime of the project, she said, the developer estimates it will reduce emissions equivalent to the consumption of 92 million gallons of gasoline.

“This project’s combined benefits – reducing methane emissions, replacing non-renewable energy sources, and improving air quality – will contribute to a cleaner, healthier community for years to come,” Morrow said. “Much like our biogas capture project at the wastewater treatment facility, we’re embracing a forward-looking solution that addresses multiple challenges in a sustainable way.”

Herrera said the biogas facility will bring Lincoln avenues of revenue generation from not only renewable natural gas but a possible future in CO2 markets, hydrogen, and sustainable aviation fuels among other uses of landfill gas.

“There is a significant demand for renewable natural gas, and I am grateful for the city’s dedication and foresight to bringing the biogas landfill project to life to proactively reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also creating economic benefits to Lincoln and surrounding communities,” Herrera said.

Beckius said the landfill biogas facility will benefit all residents of Lincoln.

“This partnership between the City of Lincoln and Sparq Renewables will help protect Lincoln’s air quality while increasing the efficiency and sustainability of Lincoln’s landfill operations,” Beckius said.

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