Swan Carbon Project 1

Swan Carbon Project 1 is a soil carbon sequestration project located approximately 17km south-east of the town of Loxton in the Riverland region of South Australia. Registered on August 22, 2024, the project covers a land area of 238 hectares. The surrounding Murray Mallee region is traditionally utilized for dryland cropping and grazing, distinct from the intensive irrigated horticulture found closer to the Murray River.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models 2021 methodology. This framework rewards landholders for increasing soil carbon stocks through changes in land management. Specifically, this project aims to boost soil health and carbon levels by applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address material nutrient deficiencies in the soil. By correcting these deficiencies, the project seeks to improve plant growth and root biomass, which in turn sequesters more atmospheric carbon into the ground.

Environmentally, the site sits within a semi-arid climate zone with low average annual rainfall of approximately 260mm. The landscape is likely characterized by the sandy, calcareous soils typical of the Molineaux land systems found in the Northern Murray Mallee. These sandy loams are often naturally low in fertility, aligning with the project's focus on nutrient remediation to unlock productive potential and carbon storage. The project is managed by Agriprove Solutions, a prominent developer in the Australian soil carbon sector known for utilizing soil sampling and modelling technology.