Suntown Landfill Gas Project

The Suntown Landfill Gas Project is a waste sector project located at the former Suntown Landfill in Arundel, a suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland. The site sits approximately 8km northwest of Southport and is situated near the Arundel Hills residential area. Registered in July 2014, the project operates on a facility that was historically a major waste disposal site for the region before its closure and the subsequent diversion of waste to the Molendinar facility.

The project operates under the Landfill Gas methodology, which rewards proponents for installing systems that capture methane generated by decomposing organic waste. Instead of allowing this potent greenhouse gas to vent into the atmosphere, the system collects it and combusts it, typically via a flare or an electricity generation engine, converting the methane into carbon dioxide, which has a significantly lower global warming potential. This process is critical for "legacy waste" sites like Suntown, where waste deposited decades ago continues to produce gas.

The Gold Coast region is characterized by a subtropical climate with high rainfall, conditions that can accelerate the decomposition of organic matter and increase gas generation rates. The site itself consists of introduced waste fill and capped soils, surrounded by urban residential developments and parklands such as the Petworth Court Reserve.

An interesting aspect of this project is its dual benefit: beyond generating Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), the active extraction of landfill gas is vital for local environmental management. The Suntown site has historically been the subject of community concern regarding gas migration into nearby residential estates; therefore, the proponent LMS Energy's management of the gas collection system serves both a climate mitigation role and a local safety function.