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 in Myocum, approximately 4.5km south of Mullumbimby and 12km northwest of Byron Bay in New South Wales. It was registered in April 2013 and covers the footprint of the municipal landfill facility.

Landfill gas projects involve installing a gas collection system to capture methane generated from decomposing organic waste. The standard requirements mandate that the captured gas must be strictly metered and combusted (typically using a flare or electricity generator) to convert the potent methane into carbon dioxide and water, preventing it from entering the atmosphere.

The Myocum area in the Byron Shire is known for rural residential blocks, agriculture, and quarrying operations. The region experiences high subtropical rainfall and the soils are typically rich, basalt-derived clays and alluvial soils.

Interestingly, while the active landfill cells are undergoing capping, closure, and rehabilitation, the site continues to operate as the Byron Resource Recovery Centre. The flaring project, which specifically targets legacy waste accepted before July 2012, was updated in 2022 to transition to the 2015 method compilation. Facilitated by Mike Ritchie and Associates on behalf of the Byron Shire Council, the project successfully completed an Emissions Reduction Fund contract in March 2023, delivering over 15,100 tonnes of carbon abatement.