Wyong Landfill Gas Project

Wyong Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas electricity generation project located at the Buttonderry Waste Management Facility in Jilliby, approximately 12km northwest of Wyong in the Central Coast region of New South Wales. Registered in November 2012, the project operates within the confines of a major municipal waste facility, while the surrounding Jilliby area is characterized by rural residential properties, poultry farming, grazing, and state forest bushland.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology involves the installation and operation of a system to collect landfill gas (methane) generated by the decomposition of legacy and non-legacy waste. Instead of being released into the atmosphere, this gas is captured and combusted in a generator to produce renewable electricity, thereby earning carbon credits for both the destruction of methane (a potent greenhouse gas) and the displacement of fossil-fuel-based grid energy.

The Central Coast region is classified as a high rainfall zone, receiving an average of approximately 970mm of precipitation annually. The local terrain sits on Patonga Claystone formations, typically resulting in clay and loam soils that can be erodible and are often interspersed with sandstone boulders.

LMS Energy Pty Ltd serves as the project proponent and operates the gas collection and generation infrastructure on the site, which is owned by the Central Coast Council. Notably, this project has successfully transitioned through multiple regulatory frameworks, moving from the original 'CFI' legacy waste method to the 2015 determination, and finally to the current 2021 electricity generation method. The project previously held a carbon abatement contract with the Australian Government which has since been completed.