Bonnie Doon Piggery Bioenergy Project

The Bonnie Doon Piggery Bioenergy Project is an Animal Effluent Management project located near the locality of Matong, approximately 25km east of Narrandera in the Riverina region of New South Wales. Registered in December 2021, the project is operated by PIC Australasia Pty Ltd, a prominent pig genetics company. The facility itself is situated on Flanagan's Lane and operates as a large-scale intensive animal production site, with licensed capacity for approximately 15,000 pigs.

Animal Effluent Management projects under the 2019 methodology involve upgrading waste treatment systems to capture methane that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. Standard piggeries often treat manure in open anaerobic ponds, which emit significant amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This project utilizes a covered anaerobic pond (CAP) or engineered digester to trap this gas. The captured methane is then combusted, either through a flare to destroy it or via a generator to produce renewable electricity and heat for the farm's operations.

The Riverina region is a major agricultural hub known for broadacre cropping (wheat, canola) and grazing. The climate is generally classified as semi-arid to temperate, characterized by hot, dry summers and cool winters where the majority of rainfall occurs. The local landscape typically features red-brown earths and clay-loam soils. These heavy clay subsoils are particularly suitable for effluent ponds as they provide a natural, impermeable barrier that helps protect groundwater tables from leaching.

An interesting aspect of this project is its proponent, PIC Australasia, which is part of the world’s largest pig breeding company. The Bonnie Doon facility is likely a key genetic nucleus or multiplication unit, focusing on high-health and high-performance breeding stock rather than just commercial meat production. The transition to a bioenergy system aligns with the industry's broader push toward carbon-neutral pork production.