$440M food-waste-to-RNG facility breaks ground in Linden

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A ceremonial groundbreaking took place Tuesday for the Linden Renewable Energy Project. Spearheaded by partners SJI, Captona and RNG Energy Solutions, the site will be the nation’s largest food waste-to-renewable natural gas facility.

The $440 million project will convert organic waste into bio-methane using proven anaerobic digestion technology here in the New Jersey/New York Metropolitan area. That bio-methane will then be upgraded to pipeline quality natural gas for injection into the adjacent Elizabethtown Gas system. Construction began in January; completion is slated for the fourth quarter of next year.

The facility will have the capacity to process 1,475 tons of waste – producing the equivalent of 30,200 gasoline per day. Project stakeholders also note the opportunity it will provide to manage food waste in the area.

“This project, the Linden Renewable Energy Project – when completed – will be the largest food waste-to-renewable natural gas facility in the United States – and the largest project in SJI portfolio,” said SJI President and CEO Mike Renna. “This project is an important reminder about the critical role that our state’s natural gas utilities and natural gas infrastructure will play in our energy transition.”

Creating value

“I’ve always been a big advocate of food waste issues in New Jersey – and this is one of the paramount things that we can do to get rid of food waste and turn it into renewable natural gas, an amazing turnabout from where we were decades ago,” said Senate President Nick Scutari, D-22nd District, who hails from the area. “So, this land is going to be utilized from something that wasn’t able to do something and turn it into something that now is producing really valuable energy.”

“If we’re going to save the planet, we’re going to have to engage in more programs and projects such as this – that reduce the carbon footprint,” said Linden Mayor Derek Armstead. “This is a great project. And there are going to be a lot of people in Linden who are going to benefit.”

James Potter, president of RNG Energy, thanked the mayor for his leadership on this project.

“Without the mayor and the city’s support, we wouldn’t be here,” said Potter. “I am guessing that the same leadership exhibited on behalf of the Linden Renewable Energy Project, also plays a major role in the ongoing success of this amazing little city called Linden. This city is a vibrant, diverse community. And speaking on behalf of RNG Energy, SJI, and the broader project team, we are proud to be here and will strive to be exceptional neighbors and long-term partners with the city and the mayor and his team.”

Direct benefits

“Captona is proud to be a partner in this landmark food waste-to-RNG facility in the New York and New Jersey region,” said Izzet Bensusan, managing partner & founder, Captona. “By putting the region’s food waste to productive use, this project not only reduces emissions but also offers an important waste management solution.”

Closing out the press conference, Renna noted the persistence required for this project, which has been some seven years-in-the-making. He also stressed that when fully operational the site will produce more clean energy than any single project in New Jersey.

“The one thing that really sticks out to me is that it’s the infrastructure that already exists – that’s going to deliver that clean energy,” Renna explained. “So, the benefit of this is going to go directly to residents and businesses in New Jersey. We’re going to be capturing food waste, diverting it here, processing it through anaerobic digestion and delivering clean energy. That’s methane that otherwise would have been released up into the atmosphere. And it’s now going to be repurposed and provide energy to homes and businesses across the state.”

Win-win

Following the press conference, officials and stakeholders participated in the ceremonial groundbreaking, tossing some dirt at the site to formally mark this landmark project. NJBIZ caught up with some of the officials who spoke at the event.

“It’s really exciting,” Scutari told NJBIZ. “I think this is a wonderful use of this land – a tremendous project and interaction between local, state and county government – and industry to take a substance and turn it into renewable energy.”

Scutari described it as a “win-win” project on all sides.

Armstead called it a wonderful day, reiterating the long process to get to this point.

“You have to understand that we’ve been looking at this project for over seven years now – and to see it come to fruition is just a wonderful thing,” Armstead told NJBIZ. “Not only are we going to be producing jobs, we’re actually going to be reducing the carbon footprint, which is something that we should all take an interest in. Especially those of us who have families and children coming behind us. We want to save this planet.”

Renna said it was overwhelming to finally reach this point for a project that will be the largest of its kind when complete. He pointed to efforts bringing all of these different stakeholders together on an initiative of this size, scope and importance.

“It’s a very elegant solution to the legislation that’s in place – that creates the diversion of the food waste,” Renna told NJBIZ. “You’re now going to take that organic food waste and you’re going to turn it into energy – and clean energy. So, it is a very immediate, major investment in the clean energy future.”