Woodlawn Energy Generation Project

Woodlawn Energy Generation Project is a landfill gas electricity generation project located at the Woodlawn Eco Precinct near Tarago, approximately 50km northeast of Canberra in the Southern Tablelands of NSW. It was registered in July 2015 and operates within a 6,000ha environmental precinct.

Landfill gas projects involve the installation of a gas collection system to capture methane produced by decomposing organic material. Under the Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas methodology, the project is required to capture and combust methane from both legacy and non-legacy waste to generate electricity. This mitigates greenhouse gas emissions by converting a highly potent greenhouse gas into less harmful emissions while producing renewable energy.

The Tarago area and the broader Southern Tablelands region are primarily known for sheep and cattle grazing operations. The region experiences a temperate climate with moderate annual rainfall averaging around 600mm. Soils in the area are typically shallow, acidic texture-contrast soils such as podzolics and chromosols.

This project originally transitioned from a revoked Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) method and recently underwent a method variation in 2023 to adhere to the updated 2021 Electricity Generation rules. The proponent, Veolia Environmental Services, operates the broader Woodlawn Eco Precinct on the site of a former copper, lead, and zinc mine that was suddenly closed in 1998. In addition to the landfill bioreactor, the site integrates a working agricultural farm for grazing rotation, a mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility to process Sydney's household waste, a 48.3-megawatt wind farm, and uniquely captures waste heat from its energy production to sustainably run hydroponic horticulture and an aquaculture facility that farms fish for the Canberra restaurant market.