Horsley Park Bioenergy Facility

Horsley Park Bioenergy Facility is an Alternative Waste Treatment (AWT) project located in the industrial suburb of Horsley Park, approximately 40km west of the Sydney CBD and 10km southwest of Parramatta in New South Wales. The project was registered in March 2025, just prior to the expiry of the applicable methodology, and is designed to operate as a large-scale bioenergy plant co-located with the Austral Bricks manufacturing site. While the specific project area size is not publicly listed, the facility has an approved processing capacity of up to 150,000 tonnes of organic waste per annum.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Alternative Waste Treatment) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology credits emissions reductions achieved by diverting mixed solid waste, which would otherwise decay in landfill and release methane, into a treatment facility. In this specific case, the project utilizes anaerobic digestion technology to break down organic waste (such as commercial and industrial food waste) in a sealed tank. The resulting biogas (biomethane) is captured and combusted to generate renewable heat and electricity, directly powering the adjacent brick kiln and reducing the facility's reliance on fossil natural gas.

The Horsley Park region sits within the Cumberland Plain of Western Sydney, an area characterized by a humid subtropical climate with warm summers and mild winters. The region receives moderate rainfall, though it is typically drier than Sydney's coastal suburbs. The local landscape is historically defined by its clay-rich soils, specifically the Wianamatta Shale group, which provides the raw material for the extensive brick-making industry in the area. Land use in the immediate vicinity is a mix of heavy industrial manufacturing, logistics hubs, and the remnant open spaces of the Western Sydney Parklands.

A notable feature of this project is its status as a pioneering "behind-the-meter" renewable gas installation for Australian manufacturing. Developed in partnership between Austral Bricks and Delorean Corporation, the $81.4 million facility is designed to replace a significant portion of the brickworks' natural gas consumption with renewable natural gas (RNG), aiming to reduce Scope 1 emissions significantly. The project also plays a critical role in the circular economy by converting local waste streams into industrial energy.