Goulburn Bioenergy Project

Goulburn Bioenergy Project is an industrial wastewater management project located at the Southern Meats abattoir on the outskirts of Goulburn in the Southern Tablelands region of New South Wales. Registered in October 2015, the project manages the effluent produced from the daily processing of approximately 4,500 sheep.

Projects operating under the Domestic, Commercial and Industrial Wastewater methodology involve reducing greenhouse gas emissions by replacing deep, open anaerobic wastewater lagoons with enclosed anaerobic digesters. Standard requirements mandate the capture of the generated biogas, primarily methane, which is then combusted to prevent it from venting into the atmosphere. This project achieves this requirement by collecting the wastewater biogas and combusting it using on-site internal combustion engines.

The Goulburn area is well known for its agricultural land use, particularly sheep and cattle grazing for fine wool and meat production. The region features a temperate climate with moderate rainfall, and the local soils are generally characterised by duplex clays and shales.

Originally developed by Quantum Power Limited before transferring to SM Project Company Pty Ltd (associated with ReNu Energy) in 2017, the facility was supported by a $2.1 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). By converting wastewater effluent into biomethane, the project generates roughly 4,000 MWh of renewable energy annually, covering up to 70% of the abattoir's daily electricity needs. The project was contracted in November 2015 and held a Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC102337), which lapsed in September 2024 after delivering over 46,000 of its 100,000 committed carbon credits. A recent government review highlighted that the methodology's standard 7-year crediting period posed challenges for this project's continued financial viability, primarily due to the high maintenance costs associated with the electricity generation equipment.