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 can therefore play a role in small rural ACCU’s 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
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
erac-landfill-gas-review-report.docx