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, approximately 15km west of Dubbo in New South Wales. Registered in April 2014, the project is currently operated by LMS Energy Pty Ltd, having transitioned from LGI Limited in July 2023. The project operates within the boundary of the Dubbo Regional Council's primary waste facility, capturing gas generated from both legacy and non-legacy waste.

Landfill gas projects involve the installation of gas collection systems, comprising wells, pipes, and pumps, into landfill sites to capture methane generated by decomposing organic matter. This methane, which would otherwise vent into the atmosphere as a potent greenhouse gas, is combusted (flared) or used to generate electricity, converting it into less harmful carbon dioxide.

The Dubbo region is characterized by a semi-arid to temperate climate with a mean annual rainfall of approximately 520mm. The landscape typically supports mixed farming and grazing, with soils in the area described as Red Earths, Red Brown Earths, and alluvial soils found near the river systems. These environmental conditions are relevant to the management of the landfill's stability and leachate, although the project's primary focus is sub-surface gas collection.

This project originally transitioned from the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) regarding legacy waste and now operates under the 2015 Landfill Gas methodology. Notably, the project successfully completed a carbon abatement contract in September 2021. The site is also home to the Dubbo Regional Organics Processing Plant (DROPP), a complementary facility opened in 2018 to divert organic waste from the landfill, further influencing the site's long-term emissions profile.