Jensen Landfill Gas Project

The Jensen Landfill Gas Project is a methane abatement initiative located at the Jensen Waste Management Centre, approximately 18km northwest of the Townsville CBD in Queensland. Registered in June 2022, the project is situated within a region characterised by rural residential properties and dry tropical bushland. The surrounding land use is primarily waste management and light grazing. The facility sits on the Townsville coastal plain, an environment defined by a "dry tropics" climate with hot, humid summers and dry winters. The local soil profile typically consists of texture-contrast soils, including solodics and red earths, which can vary significantly across the coastal flats.

Operating under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015, the project involves the installation and operation of a new gas collection system. This system captures landfill gas, primarily methane, generated by the decomposition of organic waste buried at the site. By capturing this gas and combusting it (typically via a flare or generator), the project converts methane into carbon dioxide, which has a significantly lower global warming potential. The project credits abatement from both "legacy" waste (deposited before July 2012) and "non-legacy" waste, generating Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for the avoided emissions.

A notable aspect of this project is its integration with a major rehabilitation effort by the Townsville City Council. In 2023, the Council announced a record $20 million capping project at the Jensen landfill, covering an area equivalent to 20 football fields. This work included sealing the landfill mass with an impermeable membrane and installing the LMS Energy gas collection system underneath. This collaboration not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also aids in rehabilitating the site into a "natural hill" asset, aligning with the city's goal of moving towards zero waste and improving local environmental amenity.