Molendinar Landfill Gas Project

The Molendinar Landfill Gas Project is a waste management and emissions avoidance project located at the Molendinar Waste and Recycling Centre in the Gold Coast suburb of Molendinar, Queensland. Situated approximately 6km west of the Southport CBD and 70km south of Brisbane, the project operates within a highly urbanized and industrial zone managed by the City of Gold Coast. Registered in July 2014, the project is operated by LMS Energy Pty Ltd, a leading Australian bioenergy company.

This project utilizes the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015. Landfill gas projects involve the installation of wells and pipework to extract methane (biogas) generated by the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste. This gas is then captured and combusted, either through flaring or electricity generation, to convert the potent methane into carbon dioxide, which has a significantly lower global warming potential. As a "transitioning project," it was originally established under the earlier Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) and continues to credit abatement from both legacy waste (deposited before July 2012) and non-legacy waste.

The Gold Coast region is characterized by a humid subtropical climate with high rainfall, typically exceeding 1,200mm annually, which accelerates the decomposition of organic matter in landfills. While the immediate project site consists of anthropogenic fill and waste, the surrounding natural terrain is composed of Holocene-aged estuarine deposits, including clays, silts, and sands typical of coastal floodplains.

An interesting aspect of this project is its long operational history; it has transitioned through multiple methodology variations (2012, 2015, and 2021) to remain compliant with evolving standards. The project held a Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC726270) with the Australian Government, which was successfully completed in June 2022. To date, the project has issued over 55,000 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).