Wattle Glen Landfill Gas Project

The Wattle Glen Landfill Gas Project is a waste management project located at the Wattle Glen Landfill in the Swanbank/Blackstone region, approximately 10 kilometers southeast of Ipswich and 35 kilometers southwest of Brisbane, Queensland. Registered in February 2014, the project operates on a site historically used for coal mining, which is a common land use transition in the Ipswich area where former void pits are repurposed for waste disposal.

The project operates under the Landfill Gas methodology, which involves the installation of a system to capture methane gas generated by decomposing organic waste. Instead of allowing this potent greenhouse gas to vent into the atmosphere, the gas is collected via a network of wells and pipes and combusted (flared or used for electricity generation). This process converts methane into carbon dioxide, significantly reducing the global warming potential of the emissions.

The Ipswich region is characterized by a sub-tropical climate with warm, humid summers and mild winters. Rainfall is generally moderate to high, averaging around 800mm to 900mm annually. The local geology and soils are typically clay-heavy and sedimentary, often disturbed by historical mining activities, which makes them suitable for lining and containing landfill sites.

This specific project is a "transitioning project," meaning it moved from the earlier Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) to the current Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) framework. It is operated by Veolia Environmental Services (often listed under the VELMS Joint Venture with LMS Energy). Notably, the project has successfully completed its carbon abatement contract (CAC254087) as of 2022, capturing gas from both legacy (pre-2012) and non-legacy waste streams.