Latrobe City Council has recently completed an extension of the Hyland Highway Landfill Gas Project.
The Sustainability and Environment team are focussed on reducing emissions, and with utility costs rising, they have been looking into increasing generation of Council's own power.
The Gas Project extension will increase power generation of the biogas generator from enough electricity to power an average of 1134 households to 1482 households.
Increasing power generation will save Council $252,000 a year in retail costs. Council will also receive further revenue from carbon credits, secured through the Clean Energy Regulator.
In 2022, the Loy Yang Landfill Gas Generator and small solar exports saved Council $746,000 in retail electricity costs, not including the savings of electricity used at the landfill. This reduced Council's emissions by an estimated 13,000 tonnes of CO2e a year.
This ties in with the sustainable aspect of the Council Plan. Council is working towards net zero energy emissions through the delivery of new energy initiatives, efficiencies and offsets.
Mayor of Latrobe City Council, Councillor Kellie O'Callaghan said she is proud that Council is a leader in the space of renewable energy.
"We have received requests from private consultancies, State departments and other councils to visit our Hyland Highway Landfill Gas Project, to witness what can be achieved and learned from the project," said the Mayor.
"The Gas Project will generate clean, low emission energy though utilising captured landfill gas, offsetting over 80 percent of Council's electricity needs.
"Harnessing gas and converting it to energy has the added benefit of providing a new localised energy source that can be placed back into the electricity grid."
