Kia Ora Piggery Methane Capture and Destruction Project

Kia Ora Piggery Methane Capture and Destruction Project is an agricultural methane capture project located at Yarrawalla, approximately 86km north of Bendigo in the Loddon Shire of Victoria. It was registered in March 2014. The surrounding region is predominantly used for mixed farming enterprises, including irrigated and dryland cropping, sheep and beef grazing, dairy, and piggeries. The area experiences a semi-arid, Mediterranean-style climate with relatively low average annual rainfall, generally between 300mm and 400mm. The local soils are typically composed of Grey and Brown Vertosols (cracking clays) and Red Sodosols, which are known as strong texture contrast soils.

The project operates under the Destruction of Methane Generated from Manure in Piggeries methodology. This type of project involves capturing biogas emitted from the anaerobic decomposition of piggery manure waste in covered lagoons. Standard requirements dictate that the captured methane must then be combusted, usually via flares or electricity generators, converting the highly potent methane gas into carbon dioxide and significantly reducing the facility's overall global warming potential.

The Kia Ora Piggery is a family-run farrow-to-finish operation housing around 24,000 pigs across multiple sites. To manage soaring energy costs, the farm built a custom biogas cogeneration system. The captured methane is scrubbed and piped to groups of modified Ford Falcon engines that were retrofitted as gas-powered generators. These engines provide on-site electricity while capturing exhaust heat for hydronic shed heating. This innovative system achieved an estimated 81% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for the farm while saving over $100,000 annually in power costs. The project successfully completed its Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC121137) with the Clean Energy Regulator in May 2023, delivering 101,500 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).