Wyong Landfill Gas Project

The 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 New South Wales. Registered in November 2012, the project is operated by LMS Energy Pty Ltd, a prominent figure in the Australian bioenergy sector. While the project area technically encompasses the landfill footprint, the facility is situated within a region characterized by state forests, such as the nearby Olney State Forest, and rural land used for grazing and hobby farming.

Operating under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2021, the project generates abatement by capturing methane, a potent greenhouse gas produced by decomposing organic waste, and combusting it in biogas engines to produce renewable electricity. This specific method allows the proponent to earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for destroying methane from both "legacy" waste (deposited before the Carbon Pricing Mechanism) and "non-legacy" waste, provided the gas is used for power generation.

The Jilliby region generally experiences high rainfall, averaging over 1,100mm annually, which accelerates waste decomposition and gas production rates. The local geology typically features clay and podzolic soils, which are conducive to the containment requirements of landfill operations. A notable aspect of this project is its longevity; it was originally registered under the early Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) and has transitioned through multiple methodology variations (2012, 2015, and 2021) to maintain its compliance and crediting status. The project successfully completed a carbon abatement contract (CAC783640) with the Australian Government in April 2022.