Beck Carbon Project

Beck Carbon Project is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Downside locality, approximately 15km north of Wagga Wagga in the Riverina region of New South Wales. Registered in November 2024, the project covers 1,573 hectares of land situated within a major mixed farming belt. The surrounding region is heavily utilized for dryland cropping, producing wheat, canola, and barley, as well as livestock grazing, typical of the broader Wagga Wagga Local Government Area.

This project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models (2021) methodology. This framework allows proponents to earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks over a 25-year permanence period. The specific activity registered for this project involves applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address material nutrient deficiencies. By correcting these deficiencies, the project aims to boost plant biomass production, which in turn increases the volume of carbon drawn from the atmosphere and stored in the soil profile.

The Downside area experiences a temperate climate with a winter-dominant rainfall pattern, averaging approximately 570mm annually. The landscape is characterized by Red Chromosols (red-brown earths) and Kandosols, which are well-drained and highly productive but susceptible to nutrient depletion after long-term cultivation. These soil types are generally responsive to improved management practices, making them suitable candidates for carbon sequestration initiatives.

The project proponent, Loam Carbon Pty Ltd, is an Australian biotech company specialized in microbial soil carbon sequestration. While the official registry description highlights nutrient application, Loam Carbon is widely known for its CarbonBuilder fungal inoculum, a seed coating designed to increase the stability of carbon stored in the soil. It is common for projects managed by Loam Carbon to integrate nutrient management strategies alongside their microbial technology to maximize soil health and carbon yields.