By Stephen Appezzato
MIDDLETOWN – The Belford Landfill may be useful once more.
In the most recent update in the Port Belford redevelopment saga, a 42-acre solar farm is slated for the county-owned former landfill property. The project is pending approval from the Middletown Township Committee.
A solar agreement is in the works for Port Belford Solar Farm LLC to lease the site from the county “for just under 20 years,” according to Thomas Arnone, Monmouth County commissioner director.
The board of county commissioners approved the solar lease agreement in a resolution last week. On Sept. 18, the Middletown Township Committee introduced an ordinance that would greenlight the project if passed on its second reading in October.
The solar farm “will provide up to 20 (megawatts of direct current) of green energy,” Arnone told The Two River Times in an email. The lease agreement will put up to $750,000 per year into the county’s pockets while it is in effect. “The goal is to provide tax relief of up to $15 million for our residents,” Arnone said.
Within the lease structure, Port Belford Solar Farm LLC will pay the county in scaled increments based on the project stage and eventual power output.
Port Belford Solar Farm LLC is a subsidiary of CEP Renewables, which is based in Red Bank. According to its website, CEP Renewables creates “utility scale” solar projects across the country. The company’s most notable project is the 25.6 megawatt Mount Olive solar farm – the largest landfill solar farm in the country. The Port Belford solar farm output would be just under 80% of the Mount Olive location.
This project is part of a growing national movement to convert derelict landfills into productive green energy systems. While landfills may appear as lush, rolling fields after they have been capped and decommissioned, under the surface lies toxic waste. For this reason, former landfill sites are not suitable for residential development. However, some companies have identified these unique areas as perfect grounds for solar farms, or “brightfields” as they’re called. Since 2021, brightfield deals entered between local governments and developers have skyrocketed, according to World Resources Institute.
At full capacity, the Port Belford Solar Farm would be able to output up to 20 million watts of direct current (DC) energy at a given time. This power would then be sold back to the electric company and end up in the commercial grid.
According to the lease agreement, construction of the farm must begin on or before February 2026. It is more likely that construction will begin sooner. The plant must be commercially operational by February 2027.
The Port Belford redevelopment project has been in the works for years. It faced delays during the onset of COVID-19.
In 2016 the township designated the land around Port Belford as an area in need of redevelopment for non-condemnation purposes and adopted a redevelopment plan in 2017.
“Since that time the township has been in multiple discussions with the designated redevelopers which have evolved,” according to township attorney Brian Nelson.
The project will address the land around the Belford Ferry terminal, including the terminal’s parking lot, the Belford Landfill, Ware Creek and surrounding lots.
The vision statement, according to the plan, is to “Promote the Port Belford Redevelopment Area as an attractive destination along the Raritan Bayshore and Route 36 Corridor, while encouraging development and redevelopment that preserves and protects the rich maritime heritage, history, and natural environment that are unique to the Port Belford neighborhood.”
Nelson mentioned that the township is currently in negotiations for a redevelopment agreement for the mixed-use portion of the project, which would sit along Harbor Way. He also mentioned 15% of the housing would be set aside for affordable housing.
CEP Renewables did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
The article originally appeared in the September 21 – 27, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
