McEwan Carbon Project 1

McEwan Carbon Project 1 is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Southern Mallee region of South Australia, approximately 25 kilometers northwest of the town of Pinnaroo. Registered in April 2022, the project covers an area of roughly 660 hectares. The site is situated within a landscape dominated by dryland cropping and livestock grazing, typical of the broader Mallee district.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon Methodology (Measurement and Models). This framework credits landholders for the measured increase in soil organic carbon stocks resulting from the adoption of new agricultural management activities. To drive this sequestration, the project has implemented a strategy involving the application of synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address nutrient deficiencies, the retention of crop stubble to maintain soil cover, and a transition from intensive tillage to reduced or no-tillage practices.

Environmental conditions in this area are semi-arid, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 330mm. The terrain typically features dune-swale systems characterized by sandy loams and calcareous earth soils. These soil types are often naturally low in organic matter, offering potential for sequestration when management practices are optimized to improve soil structure and water retention. The project is managed by Agriprove Solutions, a prominent aggregator that partners with landholders to streamline the compliance and measurement processes required by the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) scheme.