Lucas Heights 2B Landfill Gas Project

Lucas Heights 2B Landfill Gas Project is a waste sector project located in the suburb of Lucas Heights, approximately 30 kilometers southwest of the Sydney Central Business District in New South Wales. Registered in August 2013, the project operates within the Lucas Heights Resource Recovery Park, a major waste management facility situated on the Woronora Plateau. The surrounding region is a mix of peri-urban industrial land use, residential suburbs, and protected bushland areas such as the Heathcote National Park and the Holsworthy Military Area.

This project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2021. Landfill gas projects involve the installation of wells and pipes into the landfill mass to capture methane generated by decomposing organic waste (both legacy and non-legacy). Instead of venting this potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, it is directed to a combustion device. In this specific project, the gas is used to fuel internal combustion engines to generate renewable electricity, which is then fed into the grid, displacing fossil-fuel-based power.

The environment at Lucas Heights is characterized by a temperate climate with high rainfall, averaging over 1000mm annually. The natural geology of the area is dominated by Hawkesbury Sandstone, which typically produces sandy loam and lateritic soils. These soils naturally support dry sclerophyll forests and heathlands, although the project activity itself takes place on an engineered landfill site where the "soil" profile consists of waste cells, intermediate cover, and final capping materials.

Energy Developments Limited (EDL) operates the project, which feeds into the Lucas Heights I and II Power Stations. These stations have a combined generation capacity of approximately 19-21 MW, capable of powering tens of thousands of homes. The project has a long operational history, having transitioned through multiple versions of the landfill gas methodology (2012, 2015, and 2021) to ensure continued compliance and crediting. Notably, the project successfully completed a Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC403360) with the Australian Government in 2022.