Works to optimise and extend landfill gas extraction and treatment system

In February 2024, BINGO entered into a landfill gas agreement with LGI Limited (LGI) to install, own and operate a 4MW renewable energy power station at BINGO’s Eastern Creek site, using landfill gas recovered from the landfill to fuel the power station. As part of this agreement, LGI will install additional gas extraction infrastructure to recover landfill gas, helping BINGO achieve its decarbonisation goals and improve environmental outcomes for the Eastern Creek site and neighbouring areas.  Please see the original announcement here.

LGI has a proven track record of providing technical solutions for biogas management for landfill owners and operators for managing the risk associated with biogas from landfills, while harnessing the benefits through reducing carbon emissions and generating dispatchable, distributed renewable energy.

As filling continues, LGI will have an ongoing role at the landfill with responsibility for the extension and optimisation of the landfill gas extraction system. LGI commenced on site in early April and are reviewing and planning for the expansion of the existing network, which is necessary to improve extraction rates in preparation for power generation.  In the coming months, LGI will undertake more extensive expansion works which will involve the drilling of additional wells to ensure the landfill gas extraction system at the Eastern Creek site is operating at its optimum levels. We propose to provide regular monthly updates throughout our partnership with LGI to keep the community informed, including when any works which may have the potential to increase odour are being undertaken.

Separately, on 11 April 2024, the EPA issued a letter to all potentially odour generating premises in the Minchinbury and Eastern Creek area, advising that there had been an increase in community reports of odours of various descriptions and in various locations in the area.

As part of our ongoing commitment to the community to manage landfill gas and odour at the Eastern Creek site and in response to this letter, we immediately undertook a review of odour control measures at the landfill.  We identified short-term opportunities to optimise and complement the existing network by increasing the network of using extraction wells which were pre-drilled last year to improve the coverage of the system across the landfill.  These works have already commenced and are anticipated to be finalised on 20 April 2024. 

The landfill gas extraction and treatment system requires regular and ongoing maintenance and adjustments to ensure the system continues to operate efficiently, including to periodically take certain parts of the network and system offline as required.  For example, during routine operations to ensure safe vehicle access into the landfill last Wednesday around midday, we identified that part of the header line required repair. The operations team responded immediately and the system was back online within two hours. 

Last Sunday, we also identified that maintenance of one of the permanent flares was required to improve the operation and arranged for this to be carried out by LGI and Run Energy. We keep a high power temporary flare on-site with a capacity of 1,000m³/hr in the event of maintenance, and the temporary flare will be operating continuously while these maintenance works are being undertaken, which are anticipated to be complete by early to mid next week. 

We do not anticipate any odour as a result of the above works, as no drilling is being undertaken, however we will continue to monitor the gas system and conditions in the landfill during these works. 

If community members have any concerns, please call BINGO’s environmental hotline on 1300 032 747 or contact us. 

For further information:

Environmental hotline: 1300 032 747 

General BINGO enquires: 1300 424 646