Nopetro Energy has started construction of a $50 million renewable natural gas (RNG) facility at the Lena Road Landfill in Manatee County, Florida. The project will capture methane produced by decomposing waste and convert it into pipeline-quality fuel, with operations expected to begin in 2027.
Described by the company as the first project of its kind on Florida’s west coast, the facility will inject processed RNG into existing natural gas infrastructure. The fuel is expected to be used primarily in buses and trucks, connecting landfill methane recovery with the state’s transport-fuel market.
The project was first announced in November 2025. Its construction marks the next stage in Nopetro’s efforts to expand its landfill gas-to-RNG operations in Florida.
Landfill methane to supply pipeline-quality renewable gas
The facility will collect landfill gas generated as organic waste decomposes. The captured gas will then be processed to remove impurities and produce RNG suitable for injection into the existing gas network.
Landfill gas commonly contains methane and carbon dioxide, alongside other components. Recovering and processing the gas can turn a waste-derived methane stream into a usable energy resource rather than allowing it to go unused.
Nopetro expects the Manatee County plant to supply renewable gas primarily for transport applications, including buses and trucks. The project’s use of existing gas infrastructure will allow the processed fuel to enter the network rather than requiring a dedicated pipeline to each end user.
Nopetro projects emissions benefits and household energy equivalent
Nopetro expects the facility to deliver environmental benefits equivalent to eliminating emissions associated with 5.3 million gallons of gasoline annually. The company compares this figure with the carbon captured by approximately 22,000 acres of forest.
It also estimates that the facility will generate enough renewable energy to power more than 4,500 homes each year.
These figures are company projections. The announcement does not provide the plant’s expected annual RNG output, its methane-capture rate or the methodology used to calculate the emissions equivalence. The comparisons should therefore be understood as estimates rather than independently verified outcomes.
Jorge Herrera, chief executive of Nopetro Energy, said: “We’re taking landfill gas that would otherwise be wasted, turning it into renewable natural gas and putting it into the pipeline to serve Florida’s transportation needs. We’re proud to bring that investment to Manatee County and to be building a project that will deliver value for years to come.”
Twenty-year contract underpins the project
The project is structured around a 20-year energy savings performance contract with Manatee County. Under the agreement, the county is expected to receive more than $800,000 in annual revenue, with the potential for additional growth of up to $2.1 million, according to the supplied project announcement.
Johnson Controls provided preliminary design, engineering and strategic consulting for the facility. It will also deliver measurement and verification services throughout the project’s contract period.
Engineering, procurement and construction services are being provided by Mead & Hunt.
The arrangement brings together county-level landfill infrastructure, specialist engineering support and Nopetro’s RNG operations. The long-term contract provides the framework for the project, although the announcement does not detail the allocation of project revenues, operating costs or the conditions attached to the potential additional growth in county revenue.
Florida expansion builds on existing RNG infrastructure
The Manatee County development adds to Nopetro’s existing presence in Florida. Its operations include a landfill gas-to-RNG facility in Vero Beach and 15 RNG fuelling stations across the state.
Nopetro describes itself as a vertically integrated producer, distributor and operator of natural gas solutions across North America. Its combination of fuel production and fuelling infrastructure provides a platform for supplying natural gas-based transport fuels.
The Lena Road project extends that model by adding another landfill-derived RNG source to the company’s Florida network. Its expected contribution will depend on construction progress, the amount of recoverable landfill gas and the performance of the processing and injection systems once operational.
Bioenergy Business Analysis
The Manatee County project demonstrates how landfill methane recovery can support the production of renewable transport fuel while creating a potential revenue stream from existing waste infrastructure. Capturing, processing and injecting landfill gas into the natural gas network can help make use of methane that might otherwise be released or flared, depending on the landfill’s existing gas-management arrangements. The net climate benefit will depend on methane capture and leakage rates, energy consumption during processing and the emissions displaced by the RNG.
The project’s 20-year contract and reported annual revenue for Manatee County are also important to its commercial structure. However, the $50 million investment alone does not establish the project’s financial returns, and the announcement does not disclose annual fuel output, contracted RNG volumes or a detailed emissions assessment. Construction and the planned 2027 start-up are key milestones; actual environmental and financial performance will need to be assessed once operating data become available.
