Somerset Regional Council’s promise to reduce carbon emissions has been realised, with carbon cutting infrastructure at Esk Refuse and Recycling Centre and Landfill installed and fully operational.

The partnership between Somerset Regional Council and LGI Limited (LGI) will deliver extraordinary environmental results and help Council achieve its emissions reductionstargets, at no cost to ratepayers.

LGI will recover biogas from the Esk Refuse and Recycling Centre and Landfill and reduce methane emissions via a flare unit. This carbon abatement approach is measurable, immediate and irreversible.The project saw LGI install 26 vertical gas extraction wells, six lateral wells and connect 1.7 kilometres of pipes to the flare unit. LGI CEO, Jarryd Doran said the partnership with Somerset Regional Council is at no cost to Somerset rate payers and will deliver long term, meaningful environmental outcomes.

“Landfill gas capture systems reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and decrease odour emissions,” Mr Doran said.

“Emissions from the Esk landfill can contribute 60 to 80 per cent of Somerset Regional Council’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

“The partnership is at no cost to Somerset Regional Council, who will receive a share of the Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) revenue generated by the project.

“LGI will operate and maintain the carbon cutting infrastructure at the Murrumba Road site, delivering optimal gas extraction and carbon abatement.

“LGI’s carbon-cutting blueprint is becoming very popular as local governments, including Somerset Regional Council look to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, in line with the Australian Government’s commitment to slash emissions by 43 per cent by 2030. Somerset Regional Council Mayor, Jason Wendt said the partnership with LGI follows through on its 2022 commitment to investigate emissions reduction opportunities.

“Council is always looking for cost effective ways to reduce its emissions and the partnership with LGI will help us get there,” Cr Wendt said. LGI has been working extensively with other responsible local government areas in Queensland to capture biogas, decrease emissions and reduce the State’s carbon footprint.

Partnerships with multiple Queensland councils have allowed LGI to reduce (CO2e) emissions by more than 4.7 million tonnes, which is the equivalent of planting 77.9 million seedlings for the next decade.

Since 2013, more than 496 million m3 of biogas has been captured at 15 different Queensland sites, with 1.6 million ACCUs created. LGI also has the technology to convert biogas extracted from landfills into renewable energy.