PHOENIX – Solid waste operator Republic Services, Inc. recently announced an agreement to recover landfill gas from its North Shelby Landfill in Millington, Tenn., for multiple uses — including as a vehicle fuel for its growing natural gas-powered fleet.

The agreement with Clean Energy Renewable Fuels (CERF), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Clean Energy Fuels Corp., is the second of its kind between the two companies, with the first, at Republic's Sauk Trails Landfill in Canton, Mich., which is expected to come on line this month.

Clean Energy Renewable Fuels will build the high-BTU plant to process landfill gas, a natural byproduct of decomposition, and inject it into the U.S. natural gas network. The gas may be compressed and distributed for a variety of different uses, including vehicle fuel and as renewable power or other industrial use customers.

During the first year of operation, the plant is anticipated to produce approximately 4 million diesel gallon equivalents of renewable natural gas fuel annually. If the landfill gas is used to fuel trucks, it could fuel about 260 trucks for a year. Production, which is anticipate to begin in late 2013, is expected to steadily increase to more than 5.7 million diesel-gallon equivalents annually during the first 10 years of operations, according to Clean Energy.

"This relationship allows us to make the highest and best use of the energy potential in our landfills," said Brian Bales, executive vice president of business development for Republic Services.

"We are delighted to again partner with Republic for production of sustainable renewable natural gas. This project will help Clean Energy achieve its goal of supplying renewable natural gas fuel to an increasing number of natural gas vehicles operating across America," said Andrew Littlefair, Clean Energy president and CEO.

Used for vehicle fuel, environmentally friendly renewable natural gas derived from landfill biogas generates up to 88 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than diesel fuel or gasoline, according to Clean Energy.