Horsley Park Landfill Gas Project

Horsley Park Landfill Gas Project is a waste sector project located at the Horsley Park Waste Management Facility, approximately 40km west of the Sydney CBD in New South Wales. Registered in December 2012, the project operates within a major industrial and waste management precinct forming part of the Western Sydney Parklands. The surrounding region is characterized by industrial estates, brickworks, and remnant semi-rural land uses.

Landfill gas projects involve the installation of gas collection systems, comprising wells and pipes, into waste masses to capture methane generated by decomposing organic matter. Instead of venting into the atmosphere, this methane is combusted, converting it into less potent carbon dioxide. For this specific project, the captured gas is utilized to generate renewable electricity, contributing to Veolia’s waste-to-energy portfolio. The project transitioned from the earlier Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) to the current Emissions Reduction Fund methods, covering gas capture from both legacy and non-legacy waste.

The Horsley Park area experiences a temperate climate with moderate rainfall, averaging approximately 800mm annually. The local terrain sits on the Cumberland Plain, where soils are typically heavy clays (often classified as Red Chromosols) derived from Wianamatta Shale, which are characteristic of Western Sydney.

A notable development occurred in October 2022, when the landfill operations at the site were permanently shut down following a compliance agreement with the NSW Environment Protection Authority regarding asbestos management. While active waste acceptance has ceased, landfill gas projects typically continue to operate and generate carbon credits for years after closure as the existing waste mass continues to decompose and produce methane. The project successfully completed its primary carbon abatement contract (CAC254087) with the Australian Government in 2022.