Woodlawn Bioreactor Project

The Woodlawn Bioreactor Project is a landfill gas operation located at the Woodlawn Eco-Precinct, approximately 10km southwest of Tarago and 40km south of Goulburn in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales. Registered in May 2013, the project sits on the site of the former Woodlawn Mine, an open-cut zinc, lead, and copper mine that closed in 1998. The facility is part of a larger 6,000-hectare precinct managed by Veolia, which integrates waste management with agricultural and renewable energy operations.

This project operates under the Landfill Gas methodology, specifically the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015. Unlike traditional landfills that seal waste and wait for passive decomposition, this site functions as a bioreactor; leachate (liquid residue) is recirculated through the waste mass to accelerate decomposition and maximize methane generation. This methane is then captured and combusted in on-site generators to produce renewable electricity, preventing potent greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.

The surrounding Tarago region is a rural area characterized by sheep and cattle grazing. The environment is classified as temperate with a median annual rainfall of approximately 600mm to 700mm. The regional soils are predominantly Chromosols, texture-contrast soils common in the Southern Slopes of NSW, though the project site itself is unique, utilising the deep void of the former mine pit to deposit waste, effectively rehabilitating the disturbed land.

A notable feature of this project is its highly integrated "circular economy" model. Waste is transported by rail from Sydney to a local intermodal facility before being trucked to the site, reducing heavy road traffic. Furthermore, waste heat generated from the gas engines is utilized to warm water for an on-site aquaculture facility, which produces barramundi for the Canberra market. The precinct also co-exists with the Woodlawn Wind Farm, further establishing the area as a renewable energy hub.