City of Armadale Landfill Gas Flaring Project

The City of Armadale Landfill Gas Flaring Project is a waste sector project located at the Armadale Landfill and Recycling Facility on Hopkinson Road in Hilbert, Western Australia. The site is situated approximately 28 kilometers southeast of the Perth CBD, within the local government area of the City of Armadale. Registered in July 2014, the project operates on a site historically used for clay extraction, taking advantage of the natural clay geology which acts as a suitable low-permeability liner for waste containment.

This project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015. Landfill gas projects involve the installation of gas collection systems, such as vertical wells and horizontal piping, to capture methane generated by the decomposition of organic waste. This captured gas is then combusted (flared) to convert methane into carbon dioxide, significantly reducing the global warming potential of the emissions compared to venting the gas into the atmosphere.

The Hilbert region experiences a Mediterranean climate characterized by wet, mild winters and hot, dry summers, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 775mm. While the broader Swan Coastal Plain is known for sandy soils (such as Bassendean sands), the specific project site sits near the foothills of the Darling Scarp and is distinguished by its heavy clay soils.

An interesting facet of this project is its role in the City of Armadale's broader sustainability strategy; it has abated over 110,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent since its inception. The project successfully completed a fixed delivery Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC393085) with the Australian Government in December 2021, supplying 68,006 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). The landfill is currently undergoing a strategic transition, with plans to divert future general waste to the Avertas Waste-to-Energy plant in Kwinana, reflecting a shift away from traditional landfilling in the region.