Grafton Regional Landfill landfill gas capture and combustion project

Grafton Regional Landfill landfill gas capture and combustion project is a landfill gas project located approximately 7km south of Grafton in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. It was registered in October 2014, and while its specific area size is unknown, it operates within the footprint of the regional waste facility.

Landfill gas projects involve the installation of gas collection infrastructure, such as vertical extraction wells and piping, to capture methane emissions generated by decomposing organic waste. The captured biogas is then combusted, often using an enclosed flaring unit, to convert the potent methane gas into less harmful carbon dioxide, which generates carbon abatement under standard methodology requirements.

The Grafton area is well known for agricultural land uses, notably beef cattle grazing, sugarcane farming on the floodplains, and regional forestry operations. The region experiences a sub-tropical climate with high rainfall, averaging over 1,000mm annually. Soils in the area vary significantly, ranging from heavy alluvial clays on the lower creek flats to sandy soils and red chromosols on the surrounding hills and ridges.

This transitioning project originally operated under a revoked Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) method and continues to abate emissions from both legacy and non-legacy waste. Commissioned in 2015, the site underwent a major voluntary upgrade by LGI Limited in 2025, which included the installation of 12 vertical gas extraction wells, 5 gas collection lines, and over 800 metres of underground piping connected to a high-efficiency flare. This enhancement successfully doubled the landfill's methane capture rate. Reflecting this long-term collaboration and new contract awards, the project participant name was formally varied from Clarence Valley Council to LGI Limited in January 2025.