Maitland Landfill Gas Project

Maitland Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas capture and combustion project located at the Maitland Resource Recovery Facility (also known as the Mt Vincent Road Waste Management Centre) in East Maitland, approximately 30km northwest of Newcastle in New South Wales. It was registered in March 2014.

Landfill gas projects involve the installation of a network of gas wells and collection pipes to capture methane generated by the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste. The captured methane is then combusted using flares or electricity-generating engine generators, converting it into carbon dioxide, which has a significantly lower global warming potential. Standard requirements dictate that the volume of methane destroyed must be accurately metered to calculate carbon abatement.

The East Maitland area is located within the broader Hunter Region, which is characterized by a mix of land uses including urban development, coal mining, viticulture, and agriculture such as dairy and cattle grazing. The region experiences a humid subtropical climate with moderate to high rainfall. While the nearby Hunter River floodplain features fertile alluvial soils, the undulating terrain around the project site typically consists of podzolic and clay-based soils.

This project transitioned from a revoked early Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) method and continues to capture and combust gas generated from both legacy and non-legacy waste. It is managed by LMS Energy Pty Ltd, one of Australia's largest bioenergy companies. Additionally, the project held an abatement contract (CAC164941) with the Commonwealth, which was contracted in April 2015 and successfully fulfilled its fixed delivery obligations by October 2021.