Yornup Carbon Project

Yornup Carbon Project is a plantation forestry project located in Yornup, approximately 13km south of Bridgetown and 280km south of Perth in Western Australia's South West region. It was registered in March 2023 and covers 364.56 hectares.

Plantation forestry projects under the Carbon Farming Initiative involve sequestering carbon by establishing new plantation forests, converting short-rotation to long-rotation plantations, or maintaining existing plantations. In this specific project, the methodology requirements are met by establishing and maintaining a new commercial plantation forest destined for the harvesting of wood products.

The Bridgetown-Greenbushes area is well known for its agriculture, cattle grazing, and historical timber milling operations. The region is classified as having a Mediterranean climate with high winter rainfall. Soils in the area are generally characterised by deep sands, lateritic gravels, and loamy earth (such as Karri loam), which heavily support both native jarrah and karri forests as well as commercial timber plantations.

Interestingly, the project proponent, Simcoa Operations Pty Ltd, is Australia's only producer of high-purity silicon, operating a smelter in Kemerton near Bunbury. Their silicon smelting process heavily relies on charcoal, which they traditionally source from a mix of forest residues and plantation timbers. Establishing their own carbon-sequestering commercial plantation forest aligns closely with their long-term industrial supply chain needs and sustainability targets.