South Jersey Industries, OPAL Fuels forge renewable natural gas JV

In a monumental step towards sustainable energy solutions, South Jersey Industries (SJI), the renowned energy infrastructure holding giant, has collaborated with OPAL Fuels Inc. (Nasdaq: OPAL), a trailblazing force in renewable natural gas (RNG) production and distribution. Both powerhouses have established a 50/50 joint venture (JV), committed to the creation, ownership, and operation of RNG facilities.

Atlantic RNG Facility: The Pioneering Project

The inaugural venture stemming from this partnership, dubbed the “Atlantic RNG facility,” is set to grace the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) solid waste landfill located in the bustling Egg Harbor Township of New Jersey.

Mike Renna, the esteemed President & CEO of South Jersey Industries, passionately expressed that this venture aligns seamlessly with their overarching clean energy vision titled “Leading the Way.” He further emphasized South Jersey Industries’ steadfast commitment to achieving Scope 1 and 2 carbon-neutral operations by the ambitious year of 2040. Collaborative endeavors like these with OPAL Fuels serve as accelerators to materialize these green aspirations.

On the same note, Jonathan Maurer, the Co-CEO of OPAL Fuels, heralded the genesis of the Atlantic RNG facility with South Jersey Industries as a monumental kickoff to their synergistic relationship. Both companies share a vibrant vision of enhancing renewable natural gas production and distribution across New Jersey. He further elaborated on OPAL Fuels’ strategic growth approach, underlining the brand’s keen interest in maximizing landfill resource value to swiftly achieve their ESG targets.

A Deep Dive into the Atlantic RNG Facility’s Specifications

This cutting-edge facility is engineered to harness naturally emerging biogas, predominantly constituted of landfill methane. This biogas is then refined to match the quality benchmarks apt for distribution and sale. Boasting a nameplate capacity of a staggering 2,500 SCFM of landfill gas, the Atlantic RNG facility is projected to churn out an impressive 603,000 MMBtu or an equivalent of nearly 4.8 million gasoline gallons annually.

In an intriguing twist, this brand-new Atlantic RNG installation will stand on the grounds of a previously shut down power plant. The produced renewable natural gas is slated for injection into the South Jersey Gas network, an affiliate of South Jersey Industries, marking this venture as a pioneering initiative within the gas company’s natural gas distribution paradigm.