Lucas Heights 2 Landfill Gas Project

Lucas Heights 2 Landfill Gas Project is an electricity generation project located at the Lucas Heights Resource Recovery Park, approximately 30km southwest of the Sydney CBD in New South Wales. Registered in December 2012, the project operates within a major waste management precinct situated off New Illawarra Road. The facility is surrounded by significant bushland areas, including the Heathcote National Park and the Holsworthy Military Area, placing it in a unique industrial zone buffered by conservation and restricted land.

This project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2021. The methodology credits the capture and combustion of methane, a potent greenhouse gas released by decomposing organic waste in landfills. By directing this gas into internal combustion engines rather than allowing it to vent into the atmosphere, the project converts methane into less harmful carbon dioxide while generating renewable electricity. The project explicitly covers both legacy waste (deposited before carbon pricing mechanisms) and non-legacy waste.

The Lucas Heights region is characterized by a temperate climate with high average rainfall, conditions that typically accelerate waste decomposition and gas production. Geologically, the site sits atop the Woronora Plateau, where soils are primarily sandy loams derived from Hawkesbury Sandstone, often intermixed with clay influences from Wianamatta Shale cappings.

A notable feature of this project is its scale and longevity. Operated by EDL LFG (NSW) Pty Ltd, the broader facility (including Lucas Heights I) has a generation capacity of approximately 17 to 21 megawatts, producing enough renewable energy to power over 17,000 homes annually. The project has successfully navigated multiple legislative changes, transitioning through 2012 and 2015 methodology variations before adopting the current 2021 standard. It previously held a Carbon Abatement Contract with the Australian Government, which was successfully completed in September 2022.