Wonga/Templemore Methane Digestion Ponds

Wonga/Templemore Methane Digestion Ponds is an agricultural waste emissions reduction project located in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, primarily situated near the town of Young. Registered in January 2014, the project is operated by Windridge Farms Pty Ltd, a prominent family-owned pork producer. The project boundaries encompass the Wonga Piggery on Moppity Road, just outside Young, and the Templemore Piggery in the nearby village of Murringo, approximately 20km to the east.

The project operates under the Carbon Farming Initiative methodology for the Destruction of Methane Generated from Manure in Piggeries. This involves the installation of Covered Anaerobic Lagoons (CALs) over traditional manure ponds. In standard piggery operations, manure is stored in open ponds where it undergoes anaerobic decomposition, releasing significant amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. By covering these lagoons, the project captures the biogas (methane), which is then combusted. This process converts the methane into less harmful carbon dioxide and often powers on-site biogas generators to produce renewable electricity and heat for the farm operations.

The Young region is characterized by a temperate climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 650mm, supporting a diverse mixed farming landscape of cropping, stone fruit orchards, and livestock grazing. The local soils are predominantly red-brown earths (Chromosols), known for being well-structured but requiring careful management to prevent erosion. Windridge Farms has successfully participated in the Emissions Reduction Fund, having completed two fixed delivery contracts for carbon abatement between 2015 and 2020.