NAWMA Landfill Gas Project

The NAWMA Landfill Gas Project is a waste management and energy generation initiative located at the Uleybury Landfill (often referred to as the Uleybury Balefill), approximately 4km east of the major suburb of Elizabeth and 30km north-northeast of the Adelaide CBD in South Australia. Registered in December 2013, the project is operated by LMS Energy in partnership with the Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority (NAWMA). The project area covers the landfill site itself, which is situated in a region characterized by rural residential properties, grazing land, and nearby viticulture operations.

This project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology involves the installation of a network of vertical and horizontal wells to capture methane gas produced by decomposing organic waste. Instead of allowing this potent greenhouse gas to vent into the atmosphere, it is captured and combusted in a generator. This process not only converts the methane into less harmful carbon dioxide but also generates renewable electricity that is fed into the local power grid.

The Uleybury region experiences a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The landscape consists of the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges, where soils are typically classified as red-brown earths or clay loams (Calcarosols), often overlying limestone or quartzite formations, fitting for the site's history as a former quartzite quarry.

A notable feature of this facility is its operation as a "balefill," where waste is compacted into high-density bales at a transfer station before being transported to the site for burial, optimizing space and reducing litter. Additionally, the site is recognized for being one of Australia's first facilities to combine landfill gas generation with a solar farm, creating a hybrid renewable energy park. The landfill gas system alone has a capacity of approximately 1.1 MW and generates enough electricity to power thousands of local homes annually.