Suntown Landfill Gas Project

Suntown Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas capture project located at the Suntown Landfill in Arundel, approximately 8km northwest of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in Queensland. Registered in July 2014, the project operates within the boundary of the former waste facility, which is now in its post-closure management phase.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology incentivizes the installation of gas collection systems, comprising vertical wells and horizontal piping, to extract methane generated by decomposing organic waste. The captured gas is then combusted, either through flaring or electricity generation, converting methane into carbon dioxide. This process significantly reduces the global warming potential of the emissions, as methane is roughly 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

The Arundel region is characterized by a subtropical climate with high rainfall, conditions that typically accelerate waste decomposition and methane production. The surrounding land use is a mix of industrial precincts and residential developments, such as the Arundel Hills Estate. The underlying soil in the wider region consists of coastal clays and loams, though the project area itself is highly disturbed landfill terrain.

An interesting aspect of the Suntown Landfill is its history of community engagement regarding environmental management. The site was the subject of a class action lawsuit settled in 2017 regarding gas and leachate migration affecting nearby homes, underscoring the vital importance of this gas capture project for local amenity and safety, beyond just carbon abatement. The project successfully completed a carbon abatement contract (CAC726270) with the Australian Government in June 2022.