Air Liquide opens its first US biogas conversion plant

July 28--WALNUT -- Air Liquide's first large-scale biomethane production facility in the United States opened in February, and officials recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The facility is located at the Northeast Mississippi Landfill in Walnut, which is owned by the Northeast Mississippi Solid Waste Management Authority. The landfill is operated by national solid waste company Waste Connections Inc. and receives about 350,000 tons of waste per year.

"I am proud to have the company, Air Liquide, in our community," said First District Supervisor Jimmy Gunn.

Local dignitaries, stakeholders and community members were treated to a luncheon before the ribbon cutting, where the French-based company's officials and partners shared their vision of reliable, sustainable and secure energy sources while thanking the community for their support in the endeavor.

The Northeast Mississippi Solid Waste Management Authority manages solid waste disposal for more than 56,000 residents of Tippah, Benton and Prentiss Counties.

Using Air Liquide's gas separation membrane technology, the plant purifies the methane emitted by waste decay from the landfill and converts it to renewable natural gas. A pipeline from the facility feeds the biogas into the Kinder Morgan Natural Gas Pipeline, reintroducing the gas back into the energy grid.

"It is great to be a part of this project, a first in the state of Mississippi," said Walnut Mayor Vicki Skinner. "It is amazing how the conversion facility can take methane from the landfill and clean it. It is supposed to be cleaner than natural gas."

With over 50 biogas sites worldwide and more than 100 years of experience in gas separation, Air Liquide is the world leader in biogas purification.

Air Liquide employs more than 20,000 people in the U.S. in over 1,300 locations. The company offers industrial and medical gases, technologies and related services to customers in energy, industrial, electronics and healthcare markets.

tina.campbell@journalinc.com

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