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Putnam County OKs pilot memorandum with ReaSen to test municipal‑waste-to‑syngas system at county landfill
Summary
The county approved a memorandum of understanding with REA SEN Technologies to install a pilot system at the Putnam landfill to convert municipal solid waste into syngas/methanol, with a phased scale‑up plan and project milestones in the company’s timeline.
Putnam County commissioners on Sept. 9 approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with REA SEN Technologies Inc. to pursue a pilot project intended to convert municipal solid waste at the county landfill into syngas or methanol.
Matt (first name not recorded) Tilton, who introduced the item on the county’s sanitation agenda, described the proposed arrangement as a pilot to place a small (described in the presentation as a five‑ton‑per‑day) demonstration unit on county property at the central landfill and to scale up in modular increments if the pilot proves successful.
Commissioner Harvey, an early proponent of exploring non‑traditional disposal options, read into the record a timeline provided by REA SEN’s CEO, Jonathan Lee, that outlined an ambitious schedule: final commissioning of a Washington‑state installation by Nov. 1, 2025; dismantling and shipment to Palatka with six to nine months to re‑build and commission the landfill unit subject to permitting; and an overall county‑production target of being operational within about 12 months after shipment, barring permitting delays.
Tilton said the pilot would begin with a five‑ton‑per‑day unit, with the company’s modular units available in larger 150‑ton‑per‑day increments. He said the project would include gas collection from the landfill to supply the unit and that the county would work with REA SEN and the county attorney on an MOU spelling out responsibilities.
During discussion commissioners expressed past skepticism about similar proposals, asked for measurable milestones and a timetable and sought clarity on permitting, local operations, and whether the county would be responsible for costs. Several commissioners said they supported piloting the system provided project milestones, permitting plans and contractual protections were included in the MOU.
The board voted unanimously to approve the chair’s signature on the MOU, with an administrative correction to the site address in the document to reflect the landfill property (140 County Landfill Road). Commissioners instructed staff to continue negotiating terms, permit planning and to track milestones that REA SEN described.
