Whylandra Waste and Recycling Centre Landfill Gas Project

Whylandra Waste and Recycling Centre Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas capture project located at the Whylandra Waste and Recycling Centre, approximately 15km west of Dubbo in New South Wales. Registered in April 2014, the project operates at the primary waste disposal facility for the Dubbo Regional Council area.

Landfill gas projects involve the installation of gas collection systems, comprising vertical wells and horizontal piping, into the waste mass to extract methane generated by decomposing organic matter. The captured gas is then combusted, either through flaring or electricity generation engines, converting potent methane into carbon dioxide and significantly reducing its global warming potential. Standard requirements for this methodology include rigorous monitoring of gas flow rates and methane composition to calculate the net abatement achieved relative to a baseline of what would have been emitted into the atmosphere.

The Dubbo region is characterized by a warm temperate to semi-arid climate, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 584mm that is slightly summer-dominant. The surrounding landscape is a mix of agricultural land uses, primarily grazing and cropping, interspersed with open woodlands. The soils in the area are diverse, typically consisting of red-brown earths (Chromosols), Euchrozems, and Sodosols, which are common in the Orana region's undulating plains.

An interesting feature of this project is its status as a "transitioning project," meaning it was originally established under the earlier Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) regarding legacy waste before moving to the current 2015 ACCU methodology. The project previously held a Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC333101) with the Australian Government, which was successfully completed in September 2021. The site is managed by LMS Energy Pty Ltd, a major bioenergy proponent that took over full participant details from LGI Limited in July 2023. Additionally, the wider facility hosts the Dubbo Regional Organics Processing Plant (DROPP), which works in tandem with landfill operations to divert organic waste from burial.