Casella and Rudarpa break ground on RNG processing facility

Casella Waste Systems Inc., Rutland, Vermont, in partnership with Salt Lake City-based Rudarpa Inc., has broken ground on a renewable natural gas (RNG) processing facility at its North Country Environmental Services disposal facility in Bethlehem, New Hampshire.

“We’re thrilled to see this vision begin to take shape in Bethlehem,” said Casella Chairman and CEO John W. Casella. “We’re grateful to our partners who helped to develop the infrastructure that will lead to opportunity and environmental benefits for the entire state of New Hampshire and look forward to bringing the additional economic benefits to Bethlehem for years to come.”

The facility is designed to capture the landfill gas which is currently being flared and separate it into marketable gases, with primary emphasis on methane and carbon dioxide. Once processed, the RNG will be transported by truck for injection into existing pipeline facilities owned by Liberty Utilities.

The emissions reduction from converting the landfill gas into a transportation fuel is estimated to be 78,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, which is equivalent to taking more than 15,000 passenger cars off the road, Casella says.

The construction phase of the project is estimated to take 13 months and is expected to create up to 30 full time jobs. Once operational, up to 12 full and part time jobs are expected to be created to allow the facility to produce at capacity.

A grand opening will be scheduled for the public to tour the facility once it is completed.