Capture and Combustion of Landfill Gas from Willawong Landfill Project

The Capture and Combustion of Landfill Gas from Willawong Landfill Project is a waste sector project located in Willawong, a suburb approximately 15km south-west of the Brisbane CBD in Queensland. Registered in March 2013, the project operates on the site of the former Willawong Landfill. The area is a mix of industrial zones and waste management facilities, situated near Oxley Creek.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology incentivizes the capture of methane, a potent greenhouse gas released during the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste, which is then combusted to generate renewable electricity. By converting methane into carbon dioxide and energy, the project prevents the gas from venting into the atmosphere and displaces fossil-fuel-based electricity from the grid.

Environmentally, the region experiences a subtropical climate with high rainfall, typically exceeding 1,000mm annually. The local soil profile is heavily influenced by its proximity to Oxley Creek, consisting largely of alluvial deposits and clays, although the project site itself sits atop a capped legacy waste structure.

A notable aspect of this project is its operation on a site with a complex history; Willawong was once a hazardous waste disposal facility that closed in 1998 and underwent significant remediation. LGI Limited, the proponent, originally commissioned a 1MW generator at the site in 2011. As gas volumes from the aging waste naturally declined, this was replaced in 2019 with a more efficient 600kW unit to maintain optimal operation. The project successfully transitioned from the original 'CFI' legacy waste method to the current 2021 determination, ensuring continued abatement from the closed site.