Cessnock Landfill Gas Project

Cessnock Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas capture and combustion project located at the Cessnock Waste Management Centre, approximately 4km northeast of the Cessnock town centre in New South Wales. It was registered in December 2013 and is operated by LMS Energy Pty Ltd.

Landfill gas projects involve the installation of a gas collection system to capture methane, a potent greenhouse gas generated during the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste. Under the 2015 Landfill Gas methodology, this captured gas is combusted, either by flaring or through use in electricity generation engines, to convert the methane into less harmful carbon dioxide.

The project is situated in the Hunter Region, an area known for both its historic coal mining operations and the agricultural vineyards of the Lower Hunter Valley. The region's land use is a diverse mix of industrial infrastructure, rural grazing, and viticulture. The local environment experiences a temperate climate with moderate, variable rainfall. The soils in this area are typically clay and loamy soils, predominantly Chromosols, which have a moderate capability for agriculture and mixed land uses.

This project transitioned from a revoked Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) method and continues to capture emissions from both legacy and non-legacy waste at the facility. LMS Energy operates the site in partnership with the Cessnock City Council. The initiative not only earns Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) but also provides local environmental benefits, such as reducing odour and improving air quality. Additionally, this project was part of a fixed delivery Commonwealth contract (CAC164941) awarded in April 2015. This contract was successfully completed in October 2021, delivering a combined 385,393 tonnes of carbon abatement alongside several other LMS Energy landfill sites across the country.