Help with these projects

How these projects work

Waste decomposing in landfills produces potent greenhouse gases, such as methane, which are released into the atmosphere. A landfill gas project involves constructing new — or upgrading existing — equipment that captures and combusts the methane produced in landfills (known as landfill gas).

Combusting landfill gas converts methane to carbon dioxide, which is a much less potent greenhouse gas. You can combust landfill gas using a flare, or in a generator to generate electricity which can then be used on-site or sold back to the electricity grid.

A project’s emission reductions are determined by measuring the amount of methane combusted since implementing the upgrades. You earn carbon credits for the reduction in methane emitted (measured in carbon dioxide equivalent).

Project activities

You can run a landfill gas project by:

• Measuring current emissions levels.
• Installing, upgrading, or recommissioning landfill gas collection equipment ¬— for example, gas collection wells and piping.
• Collecting and combusting captured methane (which can then be used to generate electricity).
• Measuring and calculating emissions captured from the upgrade.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible you must:

• Establish a new landfill gas collection and combustion system, restart or upgrade an existing system.
  • If your project involves recommencing using an existing system, the recommissioned collection equipment cannot have been used after 24 April 2014.
• Ensure your landfill has eligible waste — emissions created from waste deposited between July 2012 and July 2014 are not eligible to earn carbon credits.
• Establish legal right (to run your project and claim carbon credits) for example, obtain consent from the site owner to undertake the project.
• Obtain regulatory approvals required to run your project and ensure project activities are not required to be carried out under a Commonwealth, state or territory law.
• Make sure your project is new — you cannot have started project activities until we register your project.

Running and reporting on your project

As part of registering a project, you will need to describe your proposed activities and calculate your expected carbon credits.

There are operating, monitoring, reporting and audit obligations in running a landfill gas project. You will need to report on your project at least once every two years. You receive carbon credits each time you report over a period of seven years.

Relevant legislation and resources

• Factsheet - Landfill gas projects.
• Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative – Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015 and its Explanatory Statement.
• Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011, the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Regulations 2011 and the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule 2015.