Rockingham Landfill Gas Upgrade Project

The Rockingham Landfill Gas Upgrade Project is a waste management and energy generation initiative located at the Millar Road Landfill Facility in Baldivis, Western Australia. Situated approximately 10 kilometers southeast of the Rockingham city centre and 45 kilometers south of Perth, the project sits within a region characterized by a mix of peri-urban residential development, market gardens, and industrial land use. Registered in June 2022, the project is operated by LMS Energy Pty Ltd, a prominent figure in the Australian bioenergy sector.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Electricity Generation from Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology awards carbon credits for the capture and combustion of methane, a potent greenhouse gas released by decomposing organic waste, to generate electricity. As an "upgrade" project, it involves improving or expanding the existing gas collection infrastructure to capture gas that would otherwise have been vented or flared without energy recovery. By converting this methane into electricity, the project not only prevents harmful emissions but also contributes renewable energy to the local grid, displacing fossil-fuel-generated power.

The environmental setting of the Baldivis region features a Mediterranean climate, defined by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The local geology is typical of the Swan Coastal Plain, consisting predominantly of sandy soils and limestone ridges (Spearwood Dune System), which historically supported tuart woodlands before extensive clearing for agriculture and urbanisation. The landfill facility itself occupies a site previously used for quarrying limestone and sand, leveraging the existing void space for waste management.

Notably, this project represents a continuation and optimization of gas management at the site. The facility has a history of gas capture dating back to the early 2000s, originally involving AGL Energy. The current project status reflects a transition in June 2024 to the updated 2021 electricity generation methodology, ensuring the site continues to meet modern standards for crediting periods and baseline calculations. The landfill serves the City of Rockingham and accepts municipal, commercial, and residential waste, processing significant tonnages that drive the methane generation required for the project's viability.