Whylandra Waste and Recycling Centre Landfill Gas Project

Whylandra Waste and Recycling Centre Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas project located at the Whylandra Waste and Recycling Centre on Cooba Road, approximately 15km west of Dubbo in the Central West region of New South Wales. It was registered in April 2014, and while the exact project area size is unknown, it covers the active operational footprint of the local municipal waste facility.

Landfill gas projects involve installing an active gas collection system to capture methane generated by the decomposition of organic waste. Standard requirements under the methodology dictate that this captured gas must be combusted, typically using flaring systems or electricity generation engines, to convert the potent methane gas into less harmful carbon dioxide.

The surrounding Dubbo region is a major agricultural hub known for mixed farming, which includes sheep and cattle grazing alongside broadacre cropping. The area experiences a moderate, semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 584mm. Soils in the region are predominantly hard-setting red-brown earths, sandy loams, and alluvial soils.

This project transitioned from an earlier, now-revoked Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) method to the 2015 Landfill Gas Methodology, continuing to capture and combust gas from both legacy and non-legacy waste. Originally managed by LGI Limited, the project proponent was officially changed to LMS Energy Pty Ltd in July 2023. Interestingly, the Dubbo Regional Council is developing the Whylandra site into a broader hub for waste innovation. The site now hosts a new organics processing plant to divert food and garden waste from the landfill to further reduce future methane generation. Additionally, the facility has recently integrated a unique 8kW second-hand solar panel system to help power the site's receival centre, giving panels a second life rather than sending them to landfill.