Tweed Landfill Gas Project

The Tweed Landfill Gas Project is a waste sector project located at the Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre, approximately 12 kilometers northeast of Murwillumbah and 15 kilometers south of Tweed Heads in New South Wales. Registered in February 2013, the project is operated by LMS Energy Pty Ltd in partnership with the Tweed Shire Council. It focuses on the abatement of greenhouse gases from the region's primary waste facility, which sits within the Tweed Valley.

Landfill gas projects involve the installation of gas collection systems, comprising vertical wells and horizontal pipes, into landfill cells to capture methane generated by decomposing organic waste. Under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015, this captured gas is combusted, typically via flaring or electricity generation engines. This process converts methane (a potent greenhouse gas) into carbon dioxide (a less potent one), creating carbon credits. In the case of the Tweed project, the captured gas is used to generate renewable electricity, contributing to the local energy mix.

The Stotts Creek area is characterized by a subtropical climate with high rainfall, recording annual averages often exceeding 1,900mm. The surrounding landscape consists of alluvial floodplains and clay soils typical of the Tweed River catchment, supporting a mix of agricultural land uses such as sugar cane farming and grazing, alongside remnant rainforest vegetation.

A notable aspect of this project is its contribution to the Tweed Shire Council's broader sustainability goals, including their target to achieve net zero emissions. The project successfully completed its Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC362004) with the Australian Government in April 2022, meaning it fulfilled its initial delivery obligations but continues to operate and generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) through to the end of its crediting period in 2026. LMS Energy, the proponent, is a pioneer in the sector and operates similar bioenergy facilities across Australia.