Belconnen Landfill Gas Project

The Belconnen Landfill Gas Project is a waste management and emissions avoidance project located at the West Belconnen Resource Management Centre on Parkwood Road, approximately 15 kilometers northwest of Canberra's city center (Civic) in the Australian Capital Territory. Registered in November 2012, the project operates within the West Belconnen landfill site, which served as a major waste disposal facility for the region before its closure to active landfilling. The surrounding region is characterized by a mix of peri-urban land uses, including grazing properties, vineyards, and the developing residential precinct of Ginninderry.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology involves the installation and maintenance of a system of wells and pipes that extract landfill gas (LFG) generated by the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste. The captured gas, which consists largely of methane, a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential significantly higher than carbon dioxide, is combusted via flaring or electricity generation. This process converts the methane into carbon dioxide, thereby reducing the overall atmospheric impact.

Environmental conditions in the Belconnen region are typical of the Southern Tablelands, featuring a temperate climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 600mm to 700mm. The local terrain generally consists of undulating plains with soils predominantly classified as red-brown earths and clays, which are common in the Canberra district and support the surrounding pastureland.

Energy Developments Limited (EDL), through its subsidiary EDL LFG (ACT) Pty Ltd, is the proponent for this project. While the landfill itself has ceased accepting active waste, the decomposition of legacy waste continues to produce gas that requires management. Historical operations at the site included power generation capacity; however, as gas volumes decline over time in closed landfills, operations often transition towards flaring to ensure safe and compliant gas destruction. The project successfully transitioned from the original "CFI" legacy waste method to the current 2015 determination to continue its crediting period.