Ground breaks on project to convert Lena Road landfill methane to Natural Gas

On Friday, Manatee County, Nopetro Energy, Johnson Controls, and Mead & Hunt broke ground on a $50 million renewable natural gas production facility at the Lena Road Landfill. The facility will capture and purify landfill methane for delivery through existing pipelines, providing a cleaner fuel option for buses and trucks, and will be the first of its kind on Florida's west coast.

"Today is an exciting day for Nopetro and for Manatee County as we’re turning something that was once considered waste into a valuable energy resource for Florida," said Jorge Herrera, CEO of Nopetro Energy. "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."

The groundbreaking ceremony marked the official start of construction on the project, first announced in November 2025, with operations expected to begin in 2027. The parties unveiled of new site renderings and additional project details.

"By turning waste into worth, this project transforms a landfill byproduct into a valuable community asset," said Patrick Shea, Manatee County Utilities Director. "It is an innovative example of how Manatee County can deliver services responsibly by developing practical, forward-thinking ways to create value from the infrastructure and resources we already manage."

Renewable natural gas is made from organic waste, such as the material that breaks down in landfills. Instead of letting the gas produced by these materials go to waste, it can be captured, cleaned, and used as fuel, turning waste into energy.

The new facility, which will be owned and operated by Nopetro, will capture methane from the Lena Road Landfill as buried waste decomposes and upgrade it into high-quality RNG. The company says the captured biogas will undergo a purification process before being injected into existing pipeline infrastructure, delivering a domestic, affordable, cleaner fuel option for buses and trucks while helping improve local air quality.

Once operational, Nopetro says the facility is expected to generate enough renewable energy to power more than 4,500 Florida homes each year while eliminating emissions equivalent to 5.3 million gallons of gasoline. Nopetro has an existing landfill gas-to-RNG facility in Vero Beach, and 15 RNG fueling stations across Florida.

"Every day, material comes through these gates that has reached the end of its useful life. But beneath it all is landfill gas that still has value," said Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse. "Why waste it? Through this partnership, methane produced here will be captured, cleaned and transformed into renewable natural gas that can move through existing pipelines and ultimately be used as fuel."

Johnson Controls provided preliminary design, engineering, and strategic consulting for the RNG facility and will deliver measurement and verification services throughout the project. Mead & Hunt, an engineering, procurement and construction services firm, is responsible for designing and constructing the facility.

The agreement includes third-party measurement and verification of system performance, and Nopetro says it will create more than $800,000 in annual revenue for Manatee County, with potential for additional revenue growth of up to $2.1 million.