Bendigo Landfill Gas Project

The Bendigo Landfill Gas Project is a waste sector project located at the Eaglehawk Landfill, approximately 7km northwest of the Bendigo central business district in Victoria. Registered in March 2013 by LMS Energy Pty Ltd, the project operates within the City of Greater Bendigo, a region historically famous for gold mining and now a hub for regional services, manufacturing, and surrounding agriculture.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology involves the installation and operation of a gas collection system that extracts methane, a potent greenhouse gas released by decomposing organic waste, from the landfill mass. Instead of allowing this gas to vent into the atmosphere, it is captured and combusted to generate renewable electricity. This process converts the methane into less harmful carbon dioxide, generating Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for the avoided emissions while contributing base-load power to the local grid.

Environmentally, the Bendigo region is characterized by a dry temperate climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 530mm. The local terrain typically features sedimentary geology with soils that are a mixture of clay and stone, often described as shallow and prone to becoming hard-setting in dry conditions.

A notable aspect of this project is its longevity and adaptation to regulatory changes; it has successfully transitioned from the original Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) method through the 2015 determination and onto the 2021 method. While the project recently completed a major Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC362004) in April 2022, the transition to the 2021 methodology suggests a continued operational lifespan. This is critical as the Eaglehawk Landfill itself is nearing capacity, and the local council is pivoting towards circular economy solutions, meaning the project will increasingly rely on managing gas from "legacy waste" (waste deposited in the past) rather than new inflows.