Blaxland Landfill Gas Project

Blaxland Landfill Gas Project is a landfill gas capture project located at the Blaxland Waste Management Facility, adjacent to the town of Blaxland and approximately 10km west of Penrith in NSW. It was registered in May 2015, and the waste management facility it operates on covers approximately 31ha.

Landfill gas projects involve installing a gas collection system to capture and combust methane-rich gas generated by decomposing organic waste. By flaring the gas or utilizing it for power generation, these projects prevent methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas, from venting into the atmosphere. Standard requirements for this methodology involve continuously metering the gas flow and methane concentration sent to the flare, and accounting for the proportion of gas that would have been captured anyway under local baseline regulations.

The Blaxland area features residential zoning interspersed with the expansive native bushland of the Blue Mountains National Park. The region experiences high rainfall, and its soils are characteristically shallow, sandstone-derived sandy loams and clays.

This project captures gas from both legacy and non-legacy waste at a facility that has been operating since the 1950s. The project's methodology was updated to a newer compilation in late 2021 to ensure ongoing compliance. Interestingly, the landfill gas collection system also assists the local council in managing environmental impacts; its efficacy in reducing emissions was recently evaluated as part of a council Odour Reduction Action Plan to address community complaints. The project proponent, LMS Energy, successfully delivered on a carbon abatement contract (CAC120527) for this project between November 2016 and June 2022.