Southern Waste Landfill Gas Upgrade Project

The Southern Waste Landfill Gas Upgrade Project is a landfill gas project located at Seaford Heights, approximately 35km south of the Adelaide CBD in South Australia. Registered in February 2017, the project is operated by LMS Energy Pty Ltd at the Southern Region Waste Resource Authority (SRWRA) landfill facility. This site serves as a major waste management hub for the Cities of Marion, Onkaparinga, and Holdfast Bay.

Landfill gas projects operate by installing infrastructure to capture methane generated from the decomposition of organic waste. Under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015, this captured gas is combusted, either through flaring or electricity generation, to convert potent methane into carbon dioxide, thereby reducing its global warming potential. This specific project is classified as an "upgrade" project, meaning it involves improving an existing gas collection system to increase the efficiency of capture from both legacy and non-legacy waste.

The Seaford Heights area lies on the fringe of the renowned McLaren Vale wine region. While the immediate project site is dedicated to waste management, the surrounding landscape is characterized by viticulture, grazing, and increasing urban development. The region experiences a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers, typically receiving an average annual rainfall of approximately 500mm. The local soils are often described as calcareous or clay-loams, consistent with the "Calcarosol" soil types common in southern South Australia.

Notably, the project site has evolved into a broader energy hub. In December 2020, a 600kW solar farm was launched on the capped portion of the landfill to complement the existing biogas power station, aiming to make the facility effectively "emissions neutral." In July 2020, the proponent relinquished 4,399 ACCUs following a self-identified adjustment, ensuring the integrity of the issued credits.