Bp plc (London) announced that its Archaea Energy started up its largest original Archaea Modular Design (AMD) renewable natural gas (RNG) plant to date in Shawnee, Kansas, just outside of Kansas City. The plant, which is fully-owned by Archaea, is located next to a large, privately-owned landfill.
bp’s Archaea Energy brings online its largest modular RNG plant to date in Kansas (Source: bp)
Landfill gas, a natural byproduct of the decomposition of waste in landfills, is a form of greenhouse gas. Using the AMD, the Shawnee plant captures the gas from the landfill and converts it to renewable natural gas. The Shawnee plant, which is three times the size of Archaea’s first AMD plant in Medora, Indiana brought online in October 2023, can process 9,600 standard cubic feet of landfill gas per minute (scfm) into RNG – enough gas to heat around 38,000 homes annually, according to the EPA’s Landfill Gas Energy Benefits Calculator.
Starlee Sykes, CEO Archaea Energy: “This represents another significant milestone for Archaea. A plant of this size can have a positive impact in capturing emissions from a landfill and providing our customers with lower carbon fuel. We are excited to be operating in Kansas – a state with an exceptional record in renewable energy.”
Traditionally, RNG plants have been custom built, but the AMD allows plants to be built on skids with interchangeable components. Using a standardized modular design leads to faster builds than previous industry standards. AMD plants are designed to come in three sizes – 3,200 scfm; 6,400 scfm; and 9,600 scfm.
After purchasing Archaea Energy, bp is now the largest producer of RNG in the US. In 2023, bp’s global biogas supply volumes were up 80% year-on-year, reflecting the Archaea uplift.