Capture and Combustion of Landfill Gas from Willawong Landfill Project

Capture and Combustion of Landfill Gas from Willawong Landfill Project is an electricity generation from landfill gas project located in Willawong, an industrial and commercial suburb approximately 17km south of the Brisbane CBD in Queensland. It was registered in March 2013 and operates across a closed municipal waste site. The project's immediate area is characterised by major urban and industrial land use, transitioning from its historical footprint as Brisbane's main landfill which closed in 1994.

Electricity generation from landfill gas projects involve capturing methane-rich biogas generated by decomposing organic waste within a landfill. This captured gas is then extracted and combusted, typically using engines or generators, to produce renewable electricity. This process actively avoids methane, a potent greenhouse gas, entering the atmosphere while supplying dispatchable power to the grid.

The Willawong and broader Brisbane area experiences a subtropical climate known for high rainfall, averaging over 1,000mm annually. The soils in this sub-coastal region are generally clay and loam types, most notably Dermosols, although the immediate project site consists of highly modified industrial fill over the natural alluvial clays.

This project transitioned from a revoked Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) method and continues to capture and combust gas generated from legacy and non-legacy waste using a 600kW generator. It was initially registered under the Brisbane City Council before the project participant was varied to Landfill Gas Industries Pty Ltd (now LGI Limited) in late 2011. The project successfully completed a Commonwealth emissions reduction contract (CAC342427) in early 2022. Interestingly, Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated by this specific project have been voluntarily purchased and surrendered by the University of Queensland to offset the greenhouse gas emissions associated with events at the UQ Art Museum.