Carbon Conscious Carbon Capture Project 2

Carbon Conscious Carbon Capture Project 2 is a large-scale reforestation project located across the Central and Northern Agricultural Regions of Western Australia. The project area spans approximately 12,939 hectares, consisting of multiple properties scattered throughout the "Wheatbelt" and "Mid West" regions. Key locations near the project coordinates include areas surrounding the towns of Dalwallinu, Perenjori, Carnamah, and Northampton, extending roughly 300 to 500 kilometers north and northeast of Perth. Registered in June 2014, the project operates on land previously cleared for dryland cropping and grazing, transitioning it into a long-term carbon sink.

The project operates under the "Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM" methodology. This involves establishing permanent plantings of native mallee eucalypt species, specifically Eucalyptus kochii, Eucalyptus polybractea, and Eucalyptus loxophleba, which are well-suited to the region's conditions. Unlike standard environmental plantings which may mimic a natural forest mix, mallee plantings are often arranged in belts or blocks and are distinct for their multi-stemmed growth habit. The project uses the FullCAM model to estimate carbon sequestration and has a "permanence period" of 100 years, legally protecting the trees until the next century.

The region is characterized by a semi-arid, Mediterranean climate with winter-dominant rainfall, typically receiving between 300mm and 500mm annually. The soils in these areas are predominantly ancient sandplains and sandy loams, which are often fragile and susceptible to salinity and wind erosion, issues that deep-rooted mallee trees help mitigate.

The project has undergone significant corporate restructuring since its inception. Originally developed by Carbon Conscious Limited, the project assets were transferred to a subsidiary, ACCU Asset Management Pty Ltd. This entity was part of a demerger from Alterra Limited in 2019, becoming part of the independent Carbon Conscious Investments Ltd (CCIL). The trees were planted between 2009 and 2012, prior to the project's formal registration under the current Carbon Farming Initiative, utilizing provisions for early movers in the carbon market.