Energy

1M Man-Hours With No Lost Time Injury at SJI’s Linden Renewable Energy Project

On Jul 13, 2026

SJI, along with its partners Captona and RNG Energy Solutions LLC, announced that its flagship Linden Renewable Energy (LRE) project has achieved one million construction man hours without a lost-time injury, while maintaining a consistent workforce of approximately 400 union contractors daily. Site construction continues with all major equipment installed and current efforts focused on piping and electrical installation. When the facility comes online later this year, it is expected to be one of the largest food waste-to-renewable natural gas (RNG) projects in the United States.

“Reaching one million man-hours is a remarkable testament to the dedication, safety culture, and training of our construction partners and site management team,” said Chet Benham, president, SJI Renewable Energy Ventures. “This project represents a monumental step forward in delivering sustainable energy solutions. Not only will it significantly advance waste management for the New York/New Jersey metro area, but it will also provide our communities with cleaner and more reliable renewable natural gas.”

Once fully operational, the LRE facility is expected to drive environmental and economic benefits:

The facility is designed to process organic slurry from up to 850 tons of garbage daily, assisting New York City, Northern New Jersey, and the broader metro area in meeting organic waste diversion mandates.
The plant is projected to produce 3,783 MMBtus/day of RNG, replacing the energy equivalent of 30,200 gallons of gasoline every day.
Raw biogas generated through proven anaerobic digestion technology and subsequently upgraded to pipeline-quality natural gas will be injected directly into the Elizabethtown Gas (a subsidiary of SJI) system adjacent to the site.
Diverting organic waste from landfills is projected to avoid the equivalent of approximately 120,000 metric tons of CO2e annually.
The facility is also expected to produce 200-300 cubic yards per day of digested solids, which will be sold as a natural soil amendment alternative to chemical fertilizers.
Curbing the need to transport waste hundreds of miles or across state lines, the LRE project is deeply committed to decarbonizing food waste through ongoing collaboration with local, regional, and national partners and regulators.

SJI has also developed the Atlantic RNG Project, located in the territory of South Jersey Gas, a subsidiary of SJI, as well as the Burlington RNG Project.

The Atlantic RNG facility has a nameplate capacity of 2,500 SCFM of landfill gas and is expected to produce more than 650,000 MMBtu of RNG annually, replacing the equivalent of 4.6 million gallons of gasoline each year. The Burlington RNG facility has a nameplate capacity of 3,500 SCFM and is expected to produce 800,000 MMBtu of RNG annually, replacing the equivalent of 6.5 million gallons of gasoline each year. These RNG projects represent a collaboration between SJI and OPAL Fuels as part of their previously announced joint venture to develop, construct, own and operate RNG facilities.

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