Bunya Landfill Gas Project

Bunya Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas electricity generation project located at the Bunya Waste Management Facility, approximately 15km northwest of the Brisbane CBD in Queensland. Registered in April 2014, the project operates on the site of a major waste facility situated within the peri-urban suburb of Bunya, which is characterized by state forests, acreage residential properties, and waste management infrastructure. The project covers the footprint of the active landfill cells where gas collection infrastructure has been installed.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology involves the installation of wells and pipes to capture methane (CH4) generated by decomposing organic waste. Instead of venting this potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, it is combusted in a generator to produce renewable electricity. This process converts the methane into carbon dioxide (which has a significantly lower global warming potential) and generates Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for the abatement achieved, while simultaneously feeding power into the local grid.

The Bunya region experiences a subtropical climate with relatively high rainfall, averaging over 1,000mm annually, which promotes the anaerobic decomposition required for landfill gas generation. The local terrain forms part of the Samford Valley and Bunya Mountains foothills, typically featuring structured clay and metamorphic soils. The landfill itself utilizes both clean fill (soil) and Alternative Cover Materials (ACM) composed of biodegradable clay and cellulose polymers to manage water infiltration and gas containment.

A notable feature of this project is its recent technological evolution. Operated by LGI Limited in partnership with Moreton Bay Regional Council, the site was upgraded in 2024 to become a "renewable hybrid" facility. This involved integrating a Tesla Megapack (1MW/2MWh) battery storage system with the existing biogas generator (commissioned in 2018). This setup allows the facility to store renewable energy and dispatch it to the grid during peak demand times, a first for a Queensland landfill. The project successfully completed its government Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC752641) and continues to generate credits and power, reportedly supplying enough energy for thousands of local homes.