they are likely to have greater access to, and be able to more cost-effectively utilise, the skilled labour necessary to operate projects. Smaller landfills are often council owned and operated, have limited staff, limited income and generate smaller volumes of methane. Smaller landfills are often located in rural or regional areas and are less likely to pose an odour risk to population centres. Such landfills are also more likely to face high grid connection fees due to distance from suitable infrastructure. Views expressed in public submissions support this finding. Feedback generally indicated rural landfills do not have the capacity or financing to undertake landfill gas projects in the ordinary course of business. The eligibility to earn ACCU’s can therefore play a role in small rural landfills installing capture and combustion equipment. One confidential submission provided calculations which suggested extending the crediting period would make undertaking flaring projects on small to medium landfills viable. An analysis of the licence requirements across a number of landfills did not indicate larger, urban landfills were more likely to have a legal requirement to capture landfill gas and/or capture greater amounts of landfill gas than smaller, rural landfills. Public consultation also did not provide any insight on whether licence requirements differ between landfills of different size or proximity to population centres. Finding 3: Despite increasing generation of methane from landfill, net emissions from the waste sector have decreased since 1990 largely as a result of landfill gas capture and combustion activities. Landfill gas capture is more prevalent at larger sites. Drivers of landfill gas capture activities There are three main potential drivers of landfill gas capture activities: state and territory waste regulations; reputational and social factors; and financial returns from the sale of tradeable permits (ACCUs and Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs)) and electricity. These are discussed in turn below. Finding 4: There are three main potential drivers of landfill gas capture activities: state and territory waste regulations; reputational and social factors; and financial returns from the sale of tradeable permits (ACCUs and Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs)) and electricity. Regulatory requirements for landfill gas capture States and territories are responsible for regulation of the waste industry States and territories are responsible for the regulation of waste management facilities, including landfills. All states and territories maintain regulatory frameworks governing environmental and health impacts of waste management activities. The statutory basis of
Victoria October 2014 No health, safety or environmental impacts due to landfill gas and dust Minimise greenhouse gas emissions Prevention of offsite nuisance odours and dust Meet requirements of relevant waste management policies and plans Surface (capped): 100ppm Surface (covered): 200ppm Subsurface: 1% by volume Tasmania 2004 Landfill gas must not present a source of odour or an explosion or toxicity hazard The contribution to greenhouse gas emissions should be minimised Surface: 500ppm Subsurface: 1.25% by volume
Veolia Environmental Services (Australia) Pty Ltd Woodlawn Bioreactor Project EOP100181 23/05/2013 253,106 CAC254087 See Horsley Park Landfill Gas Project NSW 2580 Transition Veolia Environmental Services (Australia) Pty Ltd and EnergyAustralia Pty Ltd Woodlawn Energy Generation Project ERF101358 16/07/2015 87,731 CAC102472 560,000 NSW 2580 Transition AGL Energy Services Pty Ltd Woy Woy Landfill Gas Abatement Facility EOP100584 14/08/2013 99,778 CAC210760 130,000 NSW 2256 Transition LMS Energy Pty Ltd Wyndham Landfill Gas Project EOP100168 10/02/2013 296,500 CAC783510 See Rochedale Landfill Gas Project VIC 3030 Transition LMS Energy Pty Ltd Wyong Landfill Gas Project EOP100097 29/11/2012 285,916 CAC783640 See Albury Landfill Gas Project NSW 2259 Transition