Cleantech company Ameresco Inc. on Feb. 20 said it has started commercial operations at Republic Services’ Brickyard Landfill, transforming landfill gas into pipeline quality renewable natural gas (RNG).

Located in Danville, Illinois, the facility is capable of processing 2,000 standard cubic feet of gas per minute and has a capacity of 500,000 dekatherms (500 million cubic feet) of RNG per year. The facility is designed to remove more than 27,000 tons per year of CO2 emissions that would have otherwise been produced by, for example, diesel-burning vehicles, according to a news release.

“At Republic Services, we’re committed to supporting decarbonization, and our partnership with Ameresco has helped us accelerate progress toward our 2030 sustainability goals,” said Tim Oudman, senior vice president of sustainability innovation for Republic Services. “Through the Brickyard RNG facility, we’re able to transform naturally occurring biogas into renewable energy for the local community.”

The facility marks Ameresco’s 12th renewable energy project with Republic Services. The two companies are working together on another 10 projects as Republic Services aims to beneficially reuse 50% more biogas by 2030.

“Creating clean energy, reducing harmful emissions and making a tangible impact on the environment towards a carbon-neutral future depends on collaboration,” said Michael Bakas, executive vice president of Ameresco. “Through our long-term partnership with Republic Services, we were able to create a dispatchable baseload resource at the Brickyard Landfill.”