Calwell Carbon Project 2

Calwell Carbon Project 2 is a soil carbon sequestration project located on the Yorke Peninsula, approximately 6km southwest of the town of Maitland in South Australia. Registered on November 16, 2021, the project covers a project area of 209.31 hectares. The proponent for this project is Agriprove Solutions Pty Ltd, a prominent developer in the Australian soil carbon sector.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Measurement of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Systems) Methodology Determination 2018. This methodology requires landholders to implement new or materially different management activities to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Key requirements include establishing a soil carbon baseline through physical sampling and subsequent sampling rounds (typically every 1 to 5 years) to measure increases. Credits (ACCUs) are issued based on the measured sequestration after accounting for any emissions from the project activities.

The Yorke Peninsula region is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with a strong reliance on broadacre cropping (wheat, barley, canola) and livestock grazing. The area around Maitland typically receives an average annual rainfall of approximately 500mm, predominantly in winter. The local soil profile generally consists of calcareous loams, red-brown earths, and grey mallee soils, which are naturally fertile but can be shallow or rocky (calcrete) in parts.

The specific "new" management activity for the Calwell Carbon Project 2 involves applying nutrients in the form of synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizer to address material soil deficiencies. By correcting these deficiencies, the project aims to increase plant biomass production, which in turn sequesters more atmospheric carbon into the soil profile through root systems and organic matter decomposition. Agriprove, the project proponent, typically partners with landholders to manage the complex compliance, sampling, and reporting obligations associated with this high-integrity method.