Florida Construction News staff writer
Nopetro Energy has broken ground on a $56-million renewable natural gas (RNG) facility at the Lena Road Landfill in Manatee County, a project designed to convert landfill methane into fuel for trucks, buses and other natural gas users.
The facility, described by the company as the first of its kind on Florida’s west coast, will capture methane produced by decomposing waste and process it into pipeline-quality renewable natural gas for distribution through existing pipeline infrastructure.Jorge Herrera, Nopetro Energy’s CEO and co-founder, announced the groundbreaking following a ceremony last Friday attended by representatives of Manatee County, Johnson Controls, engineering firm Mead & Hunt and other project partners.
The project was initially announced in December 2025 as a $50-million investment, with construction expected to begin in 2026 and operations scheduled to start in 2027.
Once operational, the facility is expected to produce enough renewable energy annually to meet the needs of more than 4,500 Florida homes.
The project is also expected to reduce emissions from biogas currently flared at the landfill by an amount equivalent to the carbon dioxide produced by burning 5.3 million gallons of gasoline annually. The company has compared that reduction to the carbon captured by approximately 22,000 acres of forest.
The development is expected to support about 50 construction jobs and create five permanent positions.
Nopetro will own and operate the facility, while Johnson Controls provided preliminary design and engineering, evaluated project revenue strategies and will perform measurement and verification services throughout the project. Mead & Hunt is also involved in the facility’s design and construction.
The project will provide Manatee County with a new revenue source by turning landfill gas that is currently burned off into a marketable fuel.
“This is a free revenue source on stuff that we’re currently just burning off,” Manatee County Commission chair George Kruse said when the project was announced. “We owe it to the taxpayers to try to maximize outside revenue so we can eliminate some of their costs.”
The facility expands Nopetro’s renewable natural gas operations in Florida, which include a landfill gas-to-RNG facility in Vero Beach and 15 RNG fueling stations across the state.
