Company Description
OPAL Fuels Inc. (Nasdaq: OPAL) operates in the natural gas and renewable energy space, within the broader mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector. According to company disclosures and press materials, OPAL Fuels focuses on the capture and conversion of biogas into low carbon intensity renewable natural gas (RNG) and renewable electricity. The company is also active in the marketing and distribution of RNG and compressed natural gas (CNG) as transportation fuel, particularly for heavy-duty trucking and other hard-to-decarbonize industrial sectors.
OPAL Fuels describes itself as a vertically integrated business. Its model combines upstream RNG production with downstream fueling infrastructure. On the upstream side, the company develops and operates RNG facilities that capture biogas, including landfill gas, and process it into pipeline-quality RNG. On the downstream side, OPAL Fuels designs, develops, constructs, operates, and services fueling stations for trucking fleets that use natural gas to displace diesel as their transportation fuel. This integration links RNG production directly with end-use in transportation, which the company highlights as a lower-emission alternative to diesel for the Class 8 trucking market.
Core Business Segments and Revenue Sources
Company reports and earnings releases describe three primary revenue categories:
- RNG Fuel – sales of RNG produced by OPAL Fuels and by third parties as pipeline-quality natural gas. This includes RNG used as transportation fuel and is tied to the company’s RNG production volumes and related environmental credits.
- Fuel Station Services – design, development, construction, and servicing of fueling stations, along with the sale, dispensing, and servicing of transportation fuel volumes. These activities support heavy-duty trucking fleets that use RNG and CNG.
- Renewable Power – sales of renewable electricity generated from biogas-based projects, which the company identifies as a distinct revenue line.
In its financial disclosures, OPAL Fuels also references equity method investments, where it holds interests in joint venture RNG projects and reports its proportional share of revenue, gross profit, net income, and Adjusted EBITDA from those investments. These joint ventures expand the company’s RNG footprint beyond wholly owned projects.
RNG Production and Landfill Gas Utilization
OPAL Fuels’ operational updates emphasize RNG production growth and landfill gas utilization. The company reports RNG fuel volumes produced in millions of MMBtu and tracks landfill RNG facility design capacity, inlet gas volumes, and utilization rates. Design capacity is described as the annual design output for each facility, based on the volume of feedstock biogas that the facility can accept and process. The company notes that actual production depends on factors such as the quantity and quality of biogas, operational uptime, and facility productivity.
Landfill RNG metrics disclosed by OPAL Fuels include:
- Design capacity for RNG facilities, measured as the volume of feedstock biogas the facility can process, presented as OPAL’s ownership share.
- Inlet design capacity utilization, calculated as the volume of inlet gas divided by total design capacity over a period.
- RNG fuel volume produced and utilization of inlet gas, reflecting how much of the available landfill gas is converted into RNG.
The company explains that utilization metrics vary over time based on landfill conditions and facility performance, and it provides ranges it generally expects for inlet utilization and gas utilization on an aggregate basis.
Fueling Infrastructure and Transportation Focus
OPAL Fuels places particular emphasis on heavy-duty transportation, especially the Class 8 trucking market. Company statements describe RNG and CNG as proven, scalable, and cost-effective alternatives to diesel, and characterize heavy-duty transportation as a historically hard-to-decarbonize sector. OPAL Fuels reports the number of fueling stations it owns and those under construction, as well as additional stations under construction owned by third parties that it services.
Within its Fuel Station Services segment, the company discloses aggregate volumes of transportation fuel sold, dispensed, and serviced, measured in gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs). It also reports the subset of those volumes that represent RNG dispensed as transportation fuel. These data points underscore the company’s role in both supplying RNG and enabling its use through fueling infrastructure.
Project Development and Joint Ventures
OPAL Fuels regularly reports on the status of specific RNG projects and facilities. Examples in recent disclosures include:
- The Atlantic RNG Project, which the company reports has commenced commercial operations and contributes to its annual design capacity based on its ownership share.
- Planned commercial operations for the Burlington and Cottonwood RNG projects, which together represent additional annual design capacity for OPAL’s share.
- The Kirby RNG Project in California, described as having a defined annual design capacity for OPAL’s 100% ownership share.
- Construction of the CMS Concord RNG facility in North Carolina, with design capacity based on OPAL’s ownership interest.
The company also notes that completion of construction at certain dairy projects in California has been delayed due to a dispute with a prior engineering, procurement, and construction contractor, illustrating some of the execution risks associated with project development.
Policy Environment and Environmental Credits
OPAL Fuels’ communications highlight the role of public policy and environmental credit markets in its business. The company references federal programs such as the Renewable Fuel Standard, D3 RIN (Renewable Identification Number) pricing, Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits, and production tax credits such as Section 45Z. It discloses metrics for RNG pending monetization, including the value of RNG awaiting credit generation and balances of RIN and LCFS credits, along with realized and quarter-end prices used for valuation.
In addition, OPAL Fuels reports on the sale of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) investment tax credits generated by its RNG facilities. The company describes these transactions as executed under the tax framework established by the IRA and continued under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which preserves transferability of investment tax credits. These tax credit sales represent another source of value associated with its RNG projects.
Corporate and Capital Markets Profile
OPAL Fuels’ common stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol OPAL. The company has disclosed that it was added as a member of the broad-market Russell 3000 Index and, as a result, also joined the small-cap Russell 2000 Index and related style indexes. This inclusion reflects its classification within the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity market.
Company filings describe a capital structure that includes multiple classes of common stock (Class A, Class B, and Class D), each with defined voting rights. OPAL Fuels reports on its annual meeting of stockholders, director elections, and auditor ratification, providing insight into its governance framework. The company also reports on liquidity, including unused capacity under a senior secured credit facility and associated revolver, along with cash and cash equivalents.
Management Metrics and Non-GAAP Measures
In its Form 8-K filings and earnings releases, OPAL Fuels discusses both GAAP results and non-GAAP metrics. A key non-GAAP measure is Adjusted EBITDA, which the company defines as net income adjusted for items such as interest and financing expense, net income attributable to non-redeemable non-controlling interests, depreciation, amortization and accretion, adjustments to reflect Adjusted EBITDA from equity method investments, fair value changes and non-recurring charges, stock-based compensation, major maintenance on renewable power, RNG development costs, and net proceeds from investment tax credits.
Management states that Adjusted EBITDA is used to assess operating performance, align revenues with expenses, and provide transparency on trends in the business. The company notes that this measure is used by institutional investors and the analyst community, while also emphasizing that non-GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation from GAAP results.
Strategic Focus and Market Positioning
Across its press releases and filings, OPAL Fuels consistently emphasizes a strategic focus on:
- Capturing and converting biogas, including landfill gas, into RNG and renewable electricity.
- Expanding RNG production capacity through owned projects and joint ventures.
- Building and operating fueling stations that support RNG and CNG use in heavy-duty trucking.
- Participating in environmental credit markets and tax credit frameworks tied to low carbon intensity fuels.
- Addressing heavy-duty transportation and other hard-to-decarbonize sectors with natural gas-based fuels.
The company describes RNG and CNG as commercially viable alternatives to diesel that can reduce emissions and support decarbonization goals, while leveraging existing truck technology and fueling infrastructure. Its vertically integrated approach is presented as a way to connect biogas feedstocks, RNG production, and end-use in transportation.
FAQs About OPAL Fuels Inc. (OPAL)
The following questions and answers summarize key aspects of OPAL Fuels based on its public disclosures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does OPAL Fuels Inc. do?
OPAL Fuels Inc. focuses on capturing and converting biogas into low carbon intensity renewable natural gas and renewable electricity. It also markets and distributes RNG and compressed natural gas as transportation fuel, particularly for heavy-duty trucking and other hard-to-decarbonize industrial sectors.
How does OPAL Fuels generate revenue?
According to company reports, OPAL Fuels generates revenue from three main areas: sales of RNG fuel, fuel station services (including design, development, construction, and servicing of fueling stations and associated fuel volumes), and sales of renewable power. The company also recognizes its proportional share of results from equity method investments in RNG projects.
What is meant by OPAL Fuels’ vertically integrated model?
OPAL Fuels describes its model as vertically integrated because it combines upstream RNG production with downstream fueling infrastructure. This means the company develops and operates RNG facilities that process biogas into RNG and also builds and services fueling stations where RNG and CNG are dispensed as transportation fuel.
Which sectors does OPAL Fuels primarily target?
The company states that it focuses on heavy-duty trucking and other hard-to-decarbonize industrial sectors. It highlights the Class 8 trucking market, where RNG and CNG are presented as alternatives to diesel.
How does OPAL Fuels use landfill gas?
OPAL Fuels operates landfill RNG facilities that capture landfill gas and process it into RNG. The company reports design capacity, inlet gas volumes, and utilization metrics for these facilities, showing how much landfill gas is available and how effectively it is converted into RNG.
What role do environmental credits play in OPAL Fuels’ business?
Company disclosures show that OPAL Fuels participates in markets for D3 RINs, LCFS credits, and production tax credits. It tracks RNG pending monetization and the value of environmental credits, and it has completed sales of investment tax credits generated by its RNG projects under frameworks established by the Inflation Reduction Act and related legislation.
On which stock exchange does OPAL Fuels trade and what is its ticker?
OPAL Fuels’ common stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol OPAL. The company has also reported inclusion in the Russell 3000 Index and the small-cap Russell 2000 Index.
What are OPAL Fuels’ main business segments?
In its financial reporting, OPAL Fuels identifies RNG Fuel, Fuel Station Services, and Renewable Power as its primary segments. Each segment contributes separately to revenue and Adjusted EBITDA, and the company reports segment-level performance in its earnings releases.
Does OPAL Fuels work with partners on RNG projects?
Yes. The company reports ownership interests in joint venture RNG projects and presents its proportional share of revenue, gross profit, net income, and Adjusted EBITDA from these equity method investments.
How does OPAL Fuels measure performance beyond GAAP earnings?
OPAL Fuels uses Adjusted EBITDA as a non-GAAP measure to evaluate performance. This metric adjusts net income for various items, including interest and financing expense, depreciation and amortization, non-controlling interests, equity method investment adjustments, fair value changes, non-recurring charges, stock-based compensation, major maintenance on renewable power, RNG development costs, and net investment tax credit proceeds.