Brinkley Biogas Flaring Project

The Brinkley Biogas Flaring Project is an animal effluent management project located at the Brinkley Piggery, approximately 10km south of Murray Bridge in South Australia. Registered in March 2016, the project operates within an intensive agricultural facility managed by Sunpork Consolidated Pty Ltd. The surrounding Murraylands region is predominantly characterized by mixed farming, including dryland cropping and grazing on sandy terrain.

This project utilizes the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Animal Effluent Management) Methodology Determination 2019. The methodology focuses on mitigating emissions from intensive livestock operations by treating animal manure that would otherwise decompose anaerobically in open ponds, releasing methane into the atmosphere. To achieve abatement, the proponent covers these anaerobic lagoons to capture the biogas generated. The captured gas is then combusted using a flaring system, converting the potent methane into carbon dioxide, which has a significantly lower global warming potential.

The Brinkley area experiences a semi-arid Mediterranean climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 350mm to 400mm. The local landscape, known as the "Brinkley Land System," features parallel sand dunes and stony rises. Soils in this region are typically calcareous sandy loams or deep sands over clay, which can be prone to wind erosion and are naturally low in fertility without careful management.

Originally contracted under the Emissions Reduction Fund in April 2017, the project has successfully engaged in the carbon market, with contract CAC967819 marked as completed in June 2024. Sunpork Consolidated, the proponent, is recognized as the largest pig farming integrator in Australia. The facility transitioned to the 2019 methodology in 2022, ensuring compliance with updated standards for biogas flaring and effluent management.