Nopetro Energy, a vertically-integrated producer, distributor and operator of natural gas solutions across North America, in partnership with Johnson Controls, announces a $50 million investment to design, finance, build and operate a landfill gas to renewable natural gas (RNG) production facility in Manatee County. The first facility of its kind on Florida鈥檚 west coast, construction is expected to begin in 2026 with operations commencing in 2027.
Owned and聽operated聽by聽Nopetro,聽the聽facility will聽capture methane gas from the Lena Road Landfill and upgrade it into high-quality RNG,聽a biogas聽and the lowest-carbon alternative fuel available.聽The captured biogas will undergo a purification process聽before being聽injected into existing pipeline infrastructure to serve customers throughout Florida鈥檚 west coast.聽Since聽RNG is fully interchangeable with conventional natural gas,聽it聽can be seamlessly distributed to聽end users, providing a domestic,聽affordable聽and cleaner fuel option for buses and trucks while helping improve local air quality.
The project is expected to聽reduce emissions from biogas currently flared at聽the聽landfill,聽eliminating聽the聽equivalent聽of聽CO鈧� produced by聽5.3聽million gallons聽of聽car聽gasoline聽each聽year.聽This聽reduction is comparable to聽the amount of carbon that would be聽captured聽by聽approximately聽22,000 acres聽of forest.聽When operational, the facility will produce enough renewable energy to power more than 4,500 Florida homes each year. Beyond its environmental impact, the project will support approximately聽50 construction聽jobs and create five permanent positions, generating long-term economic and community benefits for Manatee County and the surrounding region.
鈥淭his project reflects what鈥檚 possible when innovation and collaboration come together to create real impact,鈥� said聽Travis Payne,聽Nopetro聽Energy鈥檚 senior vice president of RNG Development. 鈥淏y transforming a wasted local asset into something productive, we鈥檙e helping Manatee County generate new revenue, and set the foundation for a more resilient future聽for generations.鈥�
Through this partnership,聽Johnson Controls provided聽preliminary聽design and engineering for the RNG facility, evaluated monetization聽strategies聽and will deliver measurement and verification services for the聽duration of the project.
鈥淲e are proud to partner with Manatee聽County,聽and this project is a powerful example of our commitment to create smart, efficient and sustainable solutions in the communities we call home,鈥� said Chuck McGinnis,聽vice president of聽North America聽sales and聽development for Johnson Controls. 鈥淭hrough converting waste into clean energy, we鈥檙e fostering long-term economic and environmental benefits and helping build a sustainable future for all.鈥�
鈥淭his is a free revenue source on stuff that we鈥檙e currently just burning off,鈥� said Manatee County Commission chair George Kruse. 鈥淲e owe it to the taxpayers to try to maximize outside revenue so we can eliminate some of their costs.鈥�