Waga Energy to upgrade landfill gas to RNG at Bena Landfill in California

Kern County Public Works has selected Waga Energy, a French company with U.S. operations based in Philadelphia, to build, own, operate and maintain a renewable natural gas (RNG) production unit at its Bena Landfill in Bakersfield, California. Under a 20-year off-take agreement, the University of California (UC) will purchase the RNG produced at the site.

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This project will use Wagabox technology, developed and patented by Waga Energy, to upgrade the landfill’s biogas into pipeline-ready RNG using membrane filtration and cryogenic distillation. The Wagabox, which will have the capacity to process 3,000 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) of landfill gas, will produce more than 550,000 million British thermal units (MMBtu), or 160 gigawatt-hours, of RNG annually over the term of the agreement, delivering gas to the local Kinder Morgan pipeline and providing the community with a reliable and renewable source of energy, Waga says in a news release about the deal.

At the end of December, the company was selected by G2 Energy, a developer and operator of landfill gas projects, to finance, build, own and operate two RNG production facilities at Recology’s Ostrom Road Landfill in Wheatland, California, and Hay Road Landfill in Vacaville, California. Both projects will be interconnected with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to inject RNG into the local natural gas network.

The Kern County project will offset approximately 30,000 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions annually and improve the region’s air quality by capturing methane, a major air pollutant, and purifying it into RNG, the company adds. This reduction is equivalent to the emissions generated by heating 12,000 homes per year.

“This agreement supports advancing environmental stewardship at our Bena Landfill while creating value for our community,” says Kern County Public Works Assistant Director Lisa Shreder.

The partnership with UC, the third-largest employer in California, plays an important role in supporting its sustainability agenda, aligning with regional efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use local alternatives to fossil fuels.

The Bena Landfill project is Waga Energy’s third RNG production project in California and is scheduled to be commissioned in 2027.

“We are thrilled to develop a third Wagabox unit in California, a state with a strong decarbonization ambition and with immense potential for our solution,” Guénaël Prince, CEO of Waga Energy USA, says. “This partnership with Kern County Public Works and the University of California marks an important milestone in our development. Supplying RNG produced in California for local use by the UC highlights the success of public-private collaboration in advancing the state’s ambitious decarbonization goals.”