Suntown Landfill Gas Project

Suntown Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas capture project located in Arundel, approximately 10km northwest of the Gold Coast city centre in Queensland. It was registered in July 2014 and covers the footprint of the retired Suntown Landfill.

The project operates under the Carbon Farming Initiative - Landfill Gas methodology. Landfill gas projects involve the installation of infrastructure to capture and combust methane-rich gas generated by decomposing organic waste. By converting methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas, into carbon dioxide through flaring or power generation, these projects significantly reduce the overall emissions profile of waste facilities.

The Arundel area is characterized by residential suburbs, commercial zones, and coastal recreational spaces. The Gold Coast region experiences a humid subtropical climate with high rainfall, typically exceeding 1,200 mm annually, and local soils generally consist of coastal sandy loams and clay.

This specific project transitioned from a revoked early methodology and continues to capture and combust gas from both legacy and non-legacy waste. Operated by LMS Energy Pty Ltd, the project successfully completed a fixed delivery contract (CAC726270) between 2017 and 2022, supplying 200,907 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) to the Commonwealth. Interestingly, despite the landfill being retired from general waste intake, the City of Gold Coast still utilizes the site for bulky kerbside and green waste operations. The site was also historically the subject of a 2013 class action lawsuit led by Shine Lawyers regarding the migration of landfill gas and leachate to neighbouring properties, which reached a confidential settlement in 2017.