Wollert Landfill Gas Project

Wollert Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas electricity generation project located in Wollert, approximately 27km north of the Melbourne CBD in Victoria. It was registered in November 2012 and covers an unknown area.

Landfill gas electricity generation projects involve capturing methane, a potent greenhouse gas produced by decomposing organic waste, and combusting it to generate renewable electricity. Standard requirements for this methodology include the continuous monitoring of gas flow, methane concentration, and electricity generated, as well as adherence to strict regulatory baselines to ensure the emissions reductions are additional and would not have occurred in the ordinary course of business.

The Wollert area, situated on the Victorian Volcanic Plains, has historically been known for grazing and agriculture, though it is increasingly transitioning to urban residential development alongside significant quarry and landfill operations. The region experiences a temperate climate with moderate annual rainfall of approximately 664mm to 679mm. Soils in the area are predominantly basalt-derived Quaternary Newer Volcanics, characterised by heavy, reactive cracking clays and distinctive stony rises.

This project transitioned from a revoked Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) method and continues to capture and combust gas from both legacy and non-legacy waste. Interestingly, in September 2013, the Clean Energy Regulator required the relinquishment of 22,941 Kyoto Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) in relation to the Wollert project; the proponent, LMS Energy, subsequently relinquished these from their Awaba Landfill Gas project instead. The project successfully completed a long-term carbon abatement contract in April 2022. Furthermore, LMS Energy is a major player in the local bioenergy space and has continuously innovated at this site, notably developing Australia's first grid-scale solar project built on a landfill at the Wollert facility.