In Canberra’s Mugga Lane Resource Management Centre, the centre’s upgraded landfill gas collection system is capturing and destroying methane, a potent greenhouse gas that has 28 times the global warming impact of carbon dioxide. This results in genuine abatement.
Unavoidably, depositing waste in a landfill emits greenhouse gases including methane into the atmosphere through the decay of rubbish. Using a network of pipes installed throughout the landfill, and internal combustion engines at Mugga Lane, the landfill gas (predominantly methane) is captured and burned to generate electricity. The electricity is exported to the electricity grid for consumption which is used in place of fossil-fuel generated electricity.
Additional abatement through management activities that would otherwise not take place is a requirement for projects registered under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme administered by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER).
‘We’ve detailed these improved landfill gas capture and combustion activities in a project registered under the landfill gas generation method,’ Jessica North of LGI Limited said.
The Mugga Lane landfill site receives ACCUs for destroying and combusting methane in line with the rules under the landfill gas generation method.
‘We’re using the ACCUs to ensure the efficient operation of our upgraded system to maximise the landfill gas that is destroyed,’ Ms North said.
The CER’s General Manager of the ACCU Scheme Soil, Emissions Avoidance and Contracts Branch Jennifer Bradley visited the Mugga Lane site recently along with members of CER’s Waste and Energy Assessments team.
‘It’s a good opportunity for us to build on our understanding of how landfill gas is captured and transported around the site to be combusted after seeing the flares and generators as part of the upgraded system,’ Ms Bradley said.
‘It’s insightful to observe first-hand new waste being put into the landfill and the size of the wells that produce the landfill gas.
‘Site visits are part of our broader compliance approach which also includes audits that are scheduled at regular intervals for every project, as well audits that are targeted to more specific matters’.
‘60 projects have been registered under the landfill gas generation method that all generate electricity. Collectively, these projects have resulted in a reduction of over 33 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent that would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere,’ Ms Bradley said.
![People exploring the gas capture and generator enclosure at Mugga Lane.](/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/2024-07/Case%20study%20-%20Mugga%20Lane_0.jpg?itok=FaDuiHom)
Under the ACCU Scheme, landfill gas generation projects are subject to strict requirements that must be met. You should consider the costs or risks associated with the activities conducted, the measurement of carbon abatement and the monitoring, record keeping and reporting requirements.