Pig poo to power South Australian homes

An Australian pork producer and a methane abatement business are partnering to establish a renewable gas facility that will convert piggery effluent into renewable energy for South Australia.

LMS Energy is developing the Wasleys Renewable Natural Gas Facility at the SunPork piggery, north of Adelaide.

Announcing the facility at Bioenergy Australia’s Renewable Fuels Summit in Sydney, LMS Energy Co-Chief Executive Officer James McLeay said it signalled the arrival of renewable natural gas (RNG) as the missing link in Australia’s energy transformation to a net zero economy.

“This landmark project is pioneering the supply of RNG which will start replacing conventional natural gas in industry and electricity generation,” McLeay said. “Making renewable gas from agricultural effluent will create new revenue streams for farmers and make them more sustainable.”

McLeay said the Wasleys project will capture and clean the gas emitted from the piggery’s effluent pond and upgrade it to biomethane — otherwise known as RNG.

“RNG is interchangeable with conventional natural gas, so it can be supplied directly into the existing gas grid, replacing fossil gas in all applications,” McLeay said.

“The development of RNG will provide the missing piece needed to support renewable energy and storage.

“RNG will drive jobs and investment in regional Australia. It’s a proven technology, ready to deploy, and can fill many of the biggest gaps in decarbonising Australian industry and energy supply.”

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SunPork Group currently operates five biogas facilities across its farm network, some of which provide electricity back to the farms via biogas generators.

At the Wasleys RNG Facility, the biogas will be upgraded to RNG and fed into the gas grid, in a partnership with LMS that represents a new strategic model for deployment of biogas at other SunPork piggeries.

“The partnership with LMS represents a new strategic model to support biogas projects at our piggeries,” said SunPork Group CEO and Managing Director Dr Robert van Barneveld.

“SunPork and LMS are value-aligned, both being family-owned. Biogas is a niche industry, with significant capital investment required, high ongoing operating costs and additional resourcing with specialist skills required. Collaborating with LMS made sense to tackle a lot of these challenges.”

Van Barneveld said SunPork generates large volumes of piggery effluent — a valuable source of renewable energy.

“It is incredible to know our Wasleys piggery will create enough RNG to power around 2000 South Australian homes,” Van Barneveld said. “SunPork’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions are its uncovered effluent ponds. To drive meaningful action in our emissions reduction program, we must tackle these emissions.

“By covering our effluent ponds, we prevent methane from being released into the atmosphere, reducing our environmental footprint.

“The project will displace conventional natural gas, reducing our reliance on fossil fuel resources, and provide residents of South Australia with a renewable natural gas source.

“We’re proud to be doing our bit to contribute to the RNG industry and Australia’s renewable energy and emissions reduction targets.”

The project has received funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of its Advancing Renewables Program. The project will be developed in stages, with Stage 1 expected to cost $10 million.

Construction of the Wasleys RNG Facility is expected to start around mid-2026 and will take about 12 months to complete.

Top image caption: Wasleys RNG Facility concept design. Images: Supplied.