Nopetro invests $50M to construct Florida RNG facility

Miami-based Nopetro Energy, in partnership with Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Johnson Controls, has announced a $50 million investment to design, finance, build and operate a landfill gas-to-renewable natural gas (RNG) production facility in Manatee County, Florida. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 with operations commencing in 2027.

Owned and operated by Nopetro, the facility will capture methane gas from the Lena Road Landfill and convert it to RNG. The captured biogas will undergo a purification process before being injected into existing pipeline infrastructure to serve customers throughout Florida’s west coast.

Nopetro says the project is expected to reduce emissions from biogas currently flared at the landfill, eliminating the equivalent of CO₂ produced by 5.3 million gallons of car gasoline each year. When operational, the facility reportedly will produce enough renewable energy to power more than 4,500 Florida homes each year.

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“This project reflects what’s possible when innovation and collaboration come together to create real impact,” says Travis Payne, Nopetro Energy’s senior vice president of RNG Development. “By transforming a wasted local asset into something productive, we’re helping Manatee County generate new revenue and set the foundation for a more resilient future for generations.”

Johnson Controls provided preliminary design and engineering for the RNG facility, evaluated monetization strategies and will deliver measurement and verification services for the duration of the project.

“We are proud to partner with Manatee County, and this project is a powerful example of our commitment to create smart, efficient and sustainable solutions in the communities we call home,” says Chuck McGinnis, vice president of North America sales and development at Johnson Controls. “Through converting waste into clean energy, we’re fostering long-term economic and environmental benefits and helping build a sustainable future for all.”

“This is a free revenue source on stuff that we’re currently just burning off,” Manatee County Commission Chair George Kruse says. “We owe it to the taxpayers to try to maximize outside revenue so we can eliminate some of their costs.”

Nopetro also partnered with Mead & Hunt, an engineering, procurement and construction services firm, to design and construct the facility.

The Manatee County project is expected to support approximately 50 construction jobs and create five permanent positions. It expands Nopetro’s existing renewable energy platform, which includes its first landfill gas-to-RNG facility in Vero Beach, Florida, and its 15 RNG fueling stations across the state.