Vero Beach Landfill Gas-to-RNG Facility, Florida

By Mead & Hunt

In a bold step toward decarbonizing America’s energy infrastructure, Nopetro Eco District, LLC, a leading renewable natural gas (RNG) developer, has partnered with Mead & Hunt to bring a cutting-edge biogas facility to life adjacent to the Indian River County Landfill in Florida.

This landmark project captures and refines landfill gas (LFG), converting it into pipeline-quality RNG that fuels both environmental progress and economic growth.

Mead & Hunt served as the project’s full-wrap engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) partner, fast-tracking development to meet aggressive timelines and maximize the financial benefits available under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

A key focus was achieving compliance with the IRA’s domestic content bonus credit, which the team secured by prioritizing U.S.-sourced steel and expediting fabrication of critical components such as pipe supports.

This strategic approach not only provided regulatory alignment but also accelerated the project’s path to market, demonstrating how thoughtful engineering can unlock both environmental and economic value.

The facility’s biogas treatment system is anchored by a membrane pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process, selected for its cost-effectiveness and robust design. However, the landfill’s highly variable nitrogen content posed a challenge to methane recovery.

To overcome this, Mead & Hunt engineered a custom membrane PSA solution, fine-tuned to handle fluctuating gas compositions while maintaining high RNG purity. This hybrid approach balances capital efficiency with performance, showcasing the adaptability required in modern RNG infrastructure.

Designed to produce approximately 1,000 SCFM of pipeline-quality RNG, the facility is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 30,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually—the equivalent of removing 4,300 passenger vehicles from the road each year. Beyond its environmental benefits, the project has also delivered a meaningful boost to the local economy, creating over 40 jobs during construction and ongoing operations.

This project exemplifies how public-private collaboration, smart policy incentives, and innovative engineering can converge to drive the clean energy transition.

As RNG continues to gain traction as a scalable, low-carbon fuel source, the Indian River County facility stands as a model for how landfill gas can be transformed from a waste product into a powerful climate solution.

For more information, read our USA Biogas Magazine.