Waste Management Unveils $30 Million RNG Facility in Louisville

Waste Management unveiled the latest technology today at its Outer Loop Recycling and Disposal Facility in Louisville, Kentucky, turning waste from the landfill into usable, renewable natural gas (RNG). The facility captures methane produced by the landfill and converts it to pipeline quality natural gas.

The facility processes up to 5,000 standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM) of incoming landfill gas. This equates to about 2,500 mmbtu per day of RNG, or 18,000 diesel gallon equivalents (DGE) per day, enough to fuel about 800 of the company’s CNG collection trucks.

“Waste Management’s innovative renewable natural gas facilities close the loop by converting discarded waste into beneficial gas that can go into the pipeline and fuel our very own CNG collection vehicles,” said Jim Trevathan, Waste Management executive vice president and chief operating officer.

The Outer Loop RNG facility serves as a model for a planned rollout of additional facilities in the coming years. Waste Management also operates RNG facilities in Illinois (Milam Landfill) and Ohio (American Landfill).

16 million DGEs of RNG are produced by harnessing the methane at the company’s landfills with RNG facilities. Waste Management uses this RNG to fuel a portion of its collection fleet, lowering fuel costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions more than 80 percent compared to those powered by diesel.

Waste Management’s 110 CNG stations deliver 60 million DGEs of natural gas each year. The company’s fleet of 6,700 natural gas trucks represents 30 percent of the company’s overall collection fleet. The company continues its commitment to converting its fleet from diesel to natural gas with 80 percent of new truck purchases powered by natural gas.