University Drive Landfill Gas Project

The University Drive Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas capture and combustion operation located at the University Drive Waste Management Facility in Bundaberg, Queensland. Registered in March 2015, the project is situated approximately 3 kilometers southwest of the Bundaberg Central Business District, adjacent to the Central Queensland University campus and the Bundaberg Airport. This project is a partnership between the proponent, LGI Limited, and the Bundaberg Regional Council.

Landfill gas projects under this methodology involve the installation of gas collection systems (wells and pipes) into landfill cells to capture methane generated by decomposing organic waste. Instead of allowing this potent greenhouse gas to vent into the atmosphere, the system channels it to a combustion unit, in this case, a flare, where it is converted into carbon dioxide. Since methane has a global warming potential significantly higher than carbon dioxide, this conversion results in a net reduction of emissions. The project generates Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for the abatement achieved beyond any regulatory baselines.

The Bundaberg region is a major agricultural hub, historically renowned for its "red earth" volcanic soils (krasnozems) which support extensive sugarcane farming, as well as macadamia and sweet potato production. The climate is subtropical with hot, wet summers and mild, drier winters, a pattern that accelerates the decomposition of organic waste in landfills, thereby driving consistent methane generation.

An interesting aspect of this project is its voluntary nature; sources indicate there was no regulatory requirement for the Bundaberg Regional Council to capture biogas at this small regional site. The revenue from ACCUs made the installation of the bespoke flaring system commercially viable. Together with the nearby Cedars Road facility, LGI’s operations in the region have abated hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions, with the council reinvesting benefits into local environmental initiatives.