Westpork Mindarra 4 Biogas Project

Westpork Mindarra 4 Biogas Project is an animal effluent management project located at Westpork's Mindarra Farm complex in Boonanarring, approximately 30km northeast of Gingin in Western Australia. Registered in August 2023, the project operates within the boundaries of a large-scale intensive piggery known as "Mindarra Module 4," which functions as a grow-out facility housing up to 55,000 pigs. The surrounding Boonanarring and Gingin region is a significant agricultural hub, characterised by mixed farming, including livestock grazing, citrus orchards, and extensive cropping.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Animal Effluent Management) Methodology Determination 2019. This methodology rewards agricultural operators for capturing and destroying methane emissions generated by decomposing animal manure. In standard intensive piggeries, effluent is often stored in open anaerobic lagoons where it releases significant amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. This project involves the installation of a covered anaerobic digester or similar facility to capture this biogas, which is then combusted to convert the methane into less harmful carbon dioxide, potentially generating renewable electricity for the farm.

Environmentally, the site lies within a warm Mediterranean climate zone with an average annual rainfall of approximately 460mm, experiencing hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The local soil profile is typical of the Swan Coastal Plain's northern extension, predominantly consisting of sandy loams and deep sands which are naturally low in clay and organic matter. Westpork is Western Australia’s largest pork producer, and this project represents a continuation of their efforts to modernize effluent systems across their facilities.