WIN Waste invests in hydrogen sulfide destruction technology

Merichem Technologies has announced that its Lo-Cat technology for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) removal was a key factor in Ohio landfill desulfurization projects, earning the Midwest Project of the Year Award in the water/environmental category from the Engineering News-Record. 

Merichem designed and fabricated four trains of proprietary Lo-Cat H2S removal technology, which is helping capture and sequester nearly 100 percent of H2S gas naturally emitted at WIN Waste Innovations’ two landfills in Ohio. ET Design Build constructed the technology, and GHD, a multidisciplinary engineering firm, designed the additional plant. 

WIN Waste’s investment in the Lo-Cat technology represents the largest application of desulfurization technology for landfill gas in the U.S., the company says. 

The desulfurization trains were designed to remove up to 4.5 long tons per day (LTPD) of elemental sulfur—up to 18 LTPD in total removal. Merichem’s liquid redox process removes more than 99 percent of inlet H2S and virtually eliminates sulfur dioxide emissions from landfill gas.

Starting in 2026, WIN Waste will begin converting the captured H2S into renewable natural gas, a project that is expected to produce more than 2.7 million MMBtus of RNG annually, to start, and eventually will result in the avoidance of more than 120,000 tons of fossil-based carbon dioxide emissions yearly. 

Merichem Technologies will fabricate a fifth train of Lo-Cat technology for one of the sites. 

“These are model landfills thanks to Merichem’s technology,” says Mark Santella, vice president of engineering for WIN Waste Innovations. “There was no off-the-shelf model for what we were trying to achieve here. We are incredibly grateful to have partnered to bring the best of the best technology available to make our Ohio landfills environmentally protective and great for the region. This award is an important milestone in our company’s pursuit to bring sustainable essential services to our customers and communities.”