Shoalhaven City Council is extending opportunities to convert biogas extracted from landfill at West Nowra Recycling and Waste Depot into renewable energy.
LGI Limited (LGI), one of Australia’s leading landfill biogas management companies, recovers biogas from landfill and reduces methane emissions.
Founder and CEO, Adam Bloomer said LGI has been working alongside Shoalhaven City Council for the past two years.
“LGI has been working collaboratively with Council in the design, installation, expansion and operation of the biogas collection and management system at the West Nowra Recycling and Waste Depot,” Mr Bloomer said.
The partnership has already reduced Shoalhaven City Council’s CO2e emissions by 100,000 tonnes.
To put that number into context, it’s the equivalent of planting 1.8 million seedlings for the next decade or removing 14,400 cars off the road for a year.
“Recent upgrades to the biogas extraction system have enabled LGI to double gas extraction rates, allowing for the possibility of the development of a renewable power station with battery storage to supply consistent, dispatchable (baseload and peaking) power to help stabilise the local electricity system.”
Council and LGI are working closely to confirm the feasibility, timing and configuration of this important opportunity.
“Shoalhaven City Council’s carbon cutting and power-generation approach is a blueprint other progressive councils should adopt and sets an impressive benchmark of what can be achieved,” Mr Bloomer said.
Council’s Sustainability and Climate Policy outlines a commitment to address climate change and achieve an ambitious target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, with an interim target of a 50 percent reduction by 2028.
Shoalhaven City Mayor Amanda Findley said that the partnership with LGI is at no-cost to local ratepayers.
“By incorporating best practice biogas management for carbon abatement and a pathway towards a renewable energy project into Shoalhaven City Council’s Diverse Integrated Recycling Operations, we are demonstrating how to make a sustainable circular economy a reality,” Cr Findley said.
“The initiative is Council’s Sustainability Energy Strategy in action and is proof that we are achieving sizeable emissions reductions and prioritising the environment.”
Images: David McHugh & Newsroom
