Nowra Alternative Waste Treatment Project

Nowra Alternative Waste Treatment Project is an alternative waste treatment (AWT) project located at the West Nowra Recycling and Waste Depot, approximately 5km west of the Nowra CBD in New South Wales. Registered in April 2024, the project is situated within the Shoalhaven Local Government Area.

Alternative Waste Treatment projects involve the diversion of mixed solid waste, typically from municipal "red bin" collections, away from landfills to specialized processing facilities. Under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Alternative Waste Treatment) Methodology Determination 2015, this project earns credits by processing the waste through anaerobic digesters. This process captures the methane generated during decomposition, which is then combusted to prevent it from entering the atmosphere, a significant improvement over the emissions profile of traditional landfilling.

The Shoalhaven region is characterized by a high rainfall climate, receiving an average of over 1,000mm annually, with a landscape supporting dairy farming, forestry, and tourism. The soils in the immediate vicinity of the West Nowra facility are typically sandy loams and clay variations common to the coastal plain.

This project represents a major infrastructure upgrade for the region's waste management capabilities. By constructing a new facility to treat mixed solid waste, the project aims to recover resources and generate energy from gas capture. The proponent, Terra Carbon Pty Limited, is also associated with the nearby Nowra Biogas Project, which focuses on animal effluent, indicating a growing hub of bio-energy and emissions reduction activity in the Mundamia area.