Maitland Landfill Gas Project

Maitland Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas capture project located in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, approximately 20 to 30km southwest of the major regional centre of Maitland. The project was registered in March 2014 and spans an unknown area size, which is typical for point-source waste management sites. The surrounding Hunter region is historically characterised by coal mining, viticulture, and mixed agricultural uses such as dairy and cattle grazing. The local climate is classified as humid subtropical and experiences high rainfall, averaging roughly 800mm to 1100mm annually. The soils in the region are primarily duplex profiles naturally prone to hardsetting, including Chromosols, Dermosols, and Kurosols, along with some alluvial deposits near river systems.

Landfill gas projects involve the installation and operation of a gas collection system to capture and combust methane emissions generated by decomposing organic waste in landfills. Under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015, captured methane is flared or used to generate renewable electricity. This converts the methane into carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas with a significantly lower global warming potential.

This specific project transitioned from a revoked legacy method to the 2015 determination and actively captures gas from both legacy and non-legacy waste at the facility. The project is operated by LMS Energy Pty Ltd, one of Australia's largest and most experienced bioenergy companies, which has been pioneering landfill gas capture and methane abatement since the 1980s. Notably, the Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated by this project were used to successfully fulfill a major Commonwealth carbon abatement contract (CAC164941) that was completed following the April 2015 auction.