Rivalea Bungowannah Piggery Biogas Project

Rivalea Bungowannah Piggery Biogas Project is an animal effluent management project located at Bungowannah, approximately 20km west of Albury in the Riverina region of New South Wales. It was registered in January 2013 and covers an unspecified area.

Animal effluent management projects involve treating intensive livestock waste to avoid greenhouse gas emissions. Standard requirements dictate capturing the biogas (primarily methane) generated by the decomposing manure in covered anaerobic lagoons and subsequently destroying it through combustion, rather than allowing it to vent into the atmosphere.

The Bungowannah area is known for diverse agricultural operations including sheep and beef grazing, dairy farming, and intensive pork production. The area has a moderate climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 585mm to 650mm. The terrain is situated along the Murray River floodplains and is characterised by highly fertile alluvial loam and clay soils.

This project collects and combusts methane generated from piggery manure waste. It originally commenced under the "Destruction of Methane Generated from Manure in Piggeries" methodology before transitioning to the updated "Animal Effluent Management" method in December 2020. The Bungowannah facility is owned by JBS Pork Australia (formerly Rivalea Australia), following JBS's $175 million acquisition of the vertically integrated pork producer in 2021. By capturing biogas in covered lagoons, facilities like this not only abate potent carbon emissions but also significantly reduce farm odours. Often, the captured biogas is used to generate heat and electricity, creating a more self-sustaining and greener operation for the piggery.