Landfill sites produce large volumes of methane gas from the decomposition of organic matter (Biomass) contained within the landfill. Methane gas trapped below ground in landfill sites can be produced for a period of up to 50 years and commercially extracted for 15 to 20 years, post closure of the landfill operations.

Landfill Gas & Power Pty Ltd (LGP) manages the gas emissions from six landfill sites within the Perth metropolitan area in Western Australia, and operates four waste-to-energy power stations located adjacent to these landfill sites. The power stations are located at Red Hill, Canning Vale, Kalamunda and Tamala Park.

LGP’s day to day operations are managed and overseen at the company’s head office and workshop in Belmont, Western Australia, some 6kms east of the Perth CBD. This is also where the company’s power stations are closely monitored via modern communications, giving full and instant remote control over the operations at each station.

The gas management programme at the landfill sites meets the Department of Environment and Conservation’s landfill gas emission requirements of two major regional local government authorities – the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council, and the Mindarie Regional Council – and the municipalities of Kalamunda, Canning Vale, Melville and Wanneroo.

The company is registered with the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator (ORER) for the creation of Renewable Energy Certificates from electricity created at two of its power stations, Red Hill and Tamala Park.

The History of LGP’s Landfills & Power Stations

Red Hill       

Status – Active
Gas Extraction – Active

LGP commissioned its first power station at Red Hill in July 1993, with an original installed capacity of 2.65MW. The Red Hill facility is located in the Darling Scarp, 25km's north east of the Perth CBD.

In 2007, Red Hill underwent an expansion and refurbishment program, which included the upgrade of all engine controls and high voltage protection, and the interaction with the local 22kV grid. The new installed capacity of the site is 3.65MW.

The landfill is operated by the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council, with a population draw of some 350,000 people.

Brockway

Status – Closed May 2004
Gas Extraction – Depleted

LGP's second power station, which also included engine waste heat recovery, drew gas from the Brockway landfill site and was situated within Challenge Stadium complex. This station opened in April 1994, with an installed capacity of 2MW. The landfill was situated near Challenge Stadium, Perth’s world-class swimming complex, which has hosted two World Swimming Championships.

LGP supplied surplus landfill gas to the Stadium to subsidise the natural gas use in the hot water system boilers, and this provided the Stadium with hot water for use in the showers. In addition, waste heat from the electrical generator was directed through a heat exchange system to heat the swimming pool. This system was capable of heating the pool to a prearranged temperature and then sustaining that temperature. Any excess heat from the generator was then expelled in the normal way, through radiators.

To the best of LGP's knowledge, the co-generation system providing electricity to the complex, landfill gas to the boilers and waste heat direct to the pools, was the first application of its kind in the world. LGP was instrumental in Challenge Stadium winning the National Energy Award within the Building Category in 1994, for its efforts in providing a complete "Smart Energy" package to Challenge Stadium from a renewable energy source.

Canning Vale

Canning Vale Landfill Status – Closed September 2006
Gas Extraction – Active

Melville Landfill Status – Closed 1998
Gas Extraction - Active

In March 1995, LGP commissioned its third power station at Canning Vale/Melville, with an installed capacity of 4MW. This project combines the gases extracted from two separate landfills operated by the Cities of Canning and Melville.

The Power Station is located on land adjoining the Canning Landfill, while gas is drawn from the Melville Landfill through a pipeline some 2.5 kilometres long.

Kalamunda

Brand Road Landfill Status – Closed 1996
Gas Extraction – Active

Dawson Ave Landfill Status – Closed 1996
Gas Extraction – Active

In May 1996, LGP’s fourth power station was opened in Kalamunda, with an initial installed capacity of 1.1MW, which was later expanded to 2MW in 1997. Like Canning Vale, this station also draws gas from two separate landfill sites.

The Kalamunda Power Station is located on the now closed Dawson Avenue Landfill Site and draws gas from the closed Brand Road Landfill Site, some 3km’s to the north.

Tamala Park

Status – Active
Gas Extraction – Active

The most recent power station, LGP's fifth and largest, was brought into operation at Tamala Park in January 2004. Tamala Park's current installed capacity is 4.65MW and it is Western Australia's largest landfill and Waste-to-Energy project. The landfill is operated by the Mindarie Regional Council, with a population draw of some 500,000 people and is considered to be the sixth largest landfill in Australia.

Other Significant Projects

LGP has also completed two Build, Own, Operate and Transfer projects.

The first project involved the design, installation and transfer of an extensive landfill gas extraction system, pump housing and computerised flare system. The works were carried out on behalf of the City of Wanneroo at their Badgerup landfill site, some 18 kilometres North of the Perth CBD, in order to capture and control gas emissions from the site. This project was completed in 1999 and handed over to the City of Wanneroo in 2000.

In 2000, LGP completed a small 100kW Waste-to-Energy pilot project in Indonesia for the Indonesian Government. The design, installation and transfer of the gas extraction system and 100kW generation package, were successfully commissioned then transferred to the Indonesian Government. The project, the first of its kind in Indonesia, provided a demonstration to the local community, local businesses and the government that commercial projects of this nature are achievable, where modern waste management practices are employed.