MidCoast Landfill Gas Project Cuts 5,150 Tonnes of CO2e in Four Months, Generates ACCU Revenue

MidCoast Council and LGI Limited have opened the MidCoast Gas Project, a landfill gas capture initiative at two waste management centres in Tuncurry and Taree, New South Wales. In its first four months, the project reduced CO2e emissions by 5,150 tonnes and captured over 540,200 cubic metres of biogas, equivalent to removing 1,113 petrol cars from the road for a year. The project uses enclosed flaring units to destroy methane, which accounted for 70% of the council's total greenhouse gas emissions. The partnership is structured so LGI covers design, build, and operation costs, while the council and local ratepayers receive a share of revenue from Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated by the methane abatement. LGI has installed 55 gas wells and connected them with underground pipes to the flares. The company reports it has reduced emissions by more than 2.3 million tonnes CO2e across 14 New South Wales sites since 2013, creating 430,000 ACCUs. LGI also operates a landfill-to-energy facility in Toowoomba that converts methane into electricity to power a wastewater treatment plant. The MidCoast project supports the council's target of net-zero emissions and 100% renewable energy by 2040, while providing a new revenue stream and improving local air quality.