Mornington Landfill Gas Project

The Mornington Landfill Gas Project is a waste sector project located at the Mornington Waste Disposal Centre, approximately 3km southeast of the Mornington town centre in Victoria. Registered in February 2013, the project operates within the Mornington Peninsula region, an area characterized by a mix of residential development, light industry, and agricultural land uses such as viticulture and grazing.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology involves the installation and operation of a gas collection system to capture methane generated by decomposing waste in the landfill. Instead of allowing this potent greenhouse gas to vent into the atmosphere, it is combusted to generate electricity, converting the methane into carbon dioxide (which has a lower global warming potential) and displacing fossil-fuel-based power from the grid.

Environmentally, the Mornington Peninsula region experiences a cool temperate climate with a "high rainfall" classification, typically receiving good winter and spring rains. The soil composition in the immediate vicinity is variable, often featuring the sandy loams and podzolic soils typical of the coastal peninsula, transitioning to heavier clay bases in surrounding areas like Moorooduc.

The project is operated by LMS Energy Pty Ltd, Australia's largest landfill gas proponent. A notable aspect of this project is its regulatory history; it has successfully transitioned through multiple methodology variations, from the original 2012 legacy waste determination to the 2015 update, and finally to the 2021 electricity generation method. While the site functions as a transfer station for the public today, the project continues to manage gas emissions from the legacy waste deposited during the site's active landfilling years. The project's carbon abatement contract with the Australian Government was completed in April 2022.