Shepparton Landfill Gas Project

The Shepparton Landfill Gas Project is a waste project located at the Cosgrove Landfill, approximately 20km east of Shepparton in Victoria. Registered in March 2013 by LMS Energy Pty Ltd, the project operates within the Greater Shepparton region, an area renowned for its "food bowl" status. The surrounding Goulburn Valley landscape is dominated by intensive agriculture, including fruit orchards, dairy farming, and cropping, supported by a network of irrigation channels.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology allows the proponent to earn carbon credits by capturing methane-rich biogas generated from decomposing organic waste that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. The captured gas is combusted in large generators to produce renewable electricity, which is then exported to the grid. This process not only prevents methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from entering the atmosphere but also displaces electricity generated from fossil fuel sources.

The local environment is characterized by a temperate climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 450-500mm. The soil profile in the Cosgrove area typically consists of Shepparton fine sandy loams overlying heavier red-brown clays, a composition that supports the region's extensive irrigation-based agriculture.

LMS Energy, the project proponent, is a leading bioenergy company in Australia, managing dozens of similar biogas facilities. A notable aspect of this project is its contribution to a larger carbon abatement contract (CAC362004) with the Australian Government, which included multiple landfill sites like Ballarat and Bendigo. This contract was successfully completed in April 2022. The Cosgrove Landfill itself is a significant regional asset, with the Greater Shepparton City Council recently undertaking expansions (Cosgrove 3) to extend the site's operational life, ensuring a continued supply of organic waste for gas generation.