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Published: 12 December 2011

Landfill operators benefit from Carbon Farming Initiative


Landfill site operators Australia-wide will be able to generate extra revenue while reducing carbon pollution using a new Carbon Farming Initiative methodology announced by the Australian Government.

The opportunity to reduce pollution and make productive use of methane emissions from old landfill waste will be welcomed by councils and local communities
The opportunity to reduce pollution and make productive use of methane emissions from old landfill waste will be welcomed by councils and local communities
Credit: tolgakolcak/istockphoto

The methodology will allow landfill operators and the clean energy businesses who work with them to create carbon credits by capturing methane emissions. These would then be used to produce electricity for sale to the grid. Alternatively, operators could destroy the methane through flaring.

Methane, a significantly more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, is emitted from landfill due to the decomposition of waste.

Landfill site operators who convert methane to carbon dioxide by generating electricity may also earn revenue from the sale of Renewable Energy Certificates under the government’s Renewable Energy Target.

Energy Developments Limited’s Managing Director Greg Pritchard welcomed the announcement, saying that the abatement of greenhouse gases from EDL’s Australian landfill gas power projects is equivalent to removing about 400 000 cars from the road, while producing enough clean electricity to power about 60 000 homes.

Australian Local Government Association President, Genia McCaffery, said the increased opportunity to reduce pollution and make productive use of methane emissions from old landfill waste will be applauded by councils and local communities.

The landfill gas methodology was developed by government in consultation with the industry, and assessed by the independent Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee.

Landfill site operators can start planning projects based on the methodology and apply to participate in the Carbon Farming Initiative, which is now operational.

Credits created under this methodology are expected to exceed the carbon price liability on the landfill waste sector in the period to 2020.

The methodology and programme information are on the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency website.

Source: Ministerial media release






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