Newcastle Landfill Gas Project

The Newcastle Landfill Gas Project is a waste-to-energy operation located at the Summerhill Waste Management Centre in Wallsend, approximately 12 kilometers west of the Newcastle CBD in New South Wales. Registered in March 2013, the project operates on the footprint of a major regional waste facility that serves the Hunter Region. The site itself is historically significant, situated on land that was formerly a coal mine before being converted into a landfill in 1995.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology rewards project proponents for installing and operating systems that collect landfill gas (primarily methane) generated by decomposing waste. Instead of allowing this potent greenhouse gas to vent into the atmosphere or simply flaring it, the project combusts the gas in generation units to produce renewable electricity, which is then fed into the grid.

The Newcastle region is characterized by a humid subtropical climate with relatively high rainfall, conditions that typically accelerate waste decomposition and gas generation. The local terrain is defined by the Newcastle Coal Measures, resulting in soils that are predominantly sedimentary clays and shale, though the immediate project area consists of substantial made ground and fill due to its mining and landfill history. The project is operated by LMS Energy, a leading bioenergy company, and has successfully completed a Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC783640) with the Australian Government.