Capture and Combustion of Landfill Gas at Myocum Landfill

Capture and Combustion of Landfill Gas at Myocum Landfill is a landfill gas project located at the Byron Resource Recovery Centre, approximately 4.5km south of Mullumbimby and 12km northwest of Byron Bay in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. Registered in April 2013, the project is operated by the Byron Shire Council with support from Mike Ritchie and Associates. The site, situated on The Manse Road, was historically used as a municipal landfill but now primarily functions as a transfer station and resource recovery centre, with the project specifically targeting gas emissions from legacy waste deposited prior to July 2012.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology involves the installation of a system to collect methane generated by the decomposing organic matter within the landfill. The collected gas is combusted using a flare, converting the potent methane into carbon dioxide, which has a significantly lower global warming potential. This specific project focuses on "restarting flaring" operations to manage emissions from the closed landfill cells.

The Myocum region experiences a high-rainfall subtropical climate, typical of the Byron Shire hinterland. The surrounding landscape consists of rolling rural hills used for grazing, horticulture, and rural lifestyle properties. The soils in the area are characteristically acidic and iron-rich, often classified as Kurosols or Ferrosols (red volcanic soils), which creates a challenging environment for groundwater management that the Council monitors closely alongside its gas mitigation efforts.

An interesting aspect of this project is its integration into Byron Shire Council's broader "Towards Zero" strategy, which aims for the shire to become carbon neutral. The project has successfully generated carbon credits (ACCUs) by destroying methane that would otherwise vent into the atmosphere. The project's carbon abatement contract with the Australian Government (CAC102122) was successfully completed in March 2023, marking a significant milestone in the Council's long-term rehabilitation and environmental management of the site.