McKellar Carbon Project 2

McKellar Carbon Project 2 is a soil carbon sequestration project located approximately 6km northeast of Penola in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. Registered in June 2022, the project covers a project area of roughly 221 hectares within the Wattle Range Council local government area. The site sits on the fringe of the world-renowned Coonawarra wine region, an area characterized by a mix of viticulture, intensive grazing, and forestry operations.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models) Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology rewards landholders for increasing soil organic carbon levels through changes in land management. Specifically, McKellar Carbon Project 2 aims to boost soil carbon by applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address material nutrient deficiencies. By correcting these deficiencies, the project seeks to increase plant biomass production, which in turn draws more carbon from the atmosphere and sequesters it into the soil profile.

The Limestone Coast region typically enjoys a Mediterranean climate with high rainfall relative to the rest of South Australia, often exceeding 600mm annually, concentrated in cool, wet winters. The local landscape is famous for its "Terra Rossa" soils (red clay loam over limestone), though the wider region also features sandy loams and dark cracking clays suitable for high-productivity agriculture. The project is managed by Agriprove Solutions, a leading developer in the Australian soil carbon sector, serving as the proponent and agent.