Waga adds North Carolina landfill to its project list

The operators of the Rockingham County Landfill have selected France-based Waga Energy as the technology provider to produce marketable renewable natural gas (RNG) from landfill gas at that facility in Madison, North Carolina.

Waga Energy's designation follows a public request for proposal that culminated in a 20-year agreement with the county to install an RNG production facility at the site using the firm’s Wagabox technology.

The European technology provider, which has an office in Pennsylvania, will finance, build, own and operate the unit and share with Rockingham County the revenue generated from the sale of the RNG produced.

“In late 2022, Rockingham County released a public RFP for the beneficial use of our landfill gas,” Rockingham County Manager Lance Metzler says. “From this evaluation, we [concluded] Waga Energy has the experience, passion and technology to maximize the value of this waste resource.

“Rockingham County is proud to be utilizing our landfill gas to provide sustainable energy to our community. By upgrading our landfill gas into RNG, this project supports Rockingham County in reducing our landfill’s environmental impact while generating new revenue for the county.”

The Wagabox unit is expected to be commissioned in 2026 and will produce approximately 207,000 million British thermal units (MMBtu) per year of RNG, which will be injected directly into a regional natural gas pipeline.

“We are proud to have been selected by Rockingham County as their partner to maximize the benefits of the landfill gas at the Rockingham County Landfill," Waga Energy USA CEO Guénaël Prince says. "Our Wagabox RNG facility will convert the landfill gas into a source of energy, fueling the local community and supporting the circular economy.”

The Rockingham County Landfill provides service to more than 90,000 residents and as receiving an average of 100,000 tons of municipal solid waste annually. The county is located in the north central part of the state, bordering Virginia.

Waga Energy operates 23 Wagabox units worldwide, including three in North America. As of this year, 13 more units are under construction globally, including six in the U.S.