Australia’s first soil ACCUs issued

June 2023: Australia’s first soil carbon credits have been issued by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER). As Jennifer Hewett stated in the Australian Financial Review (behind a paywall), “Several million dollars worth of Australian carbon credits awarded to two Queensland beef properties should alert many more farmers and graziers to the opportunities available to them in Australia’s race to reduce carbon emissions.”

Ms Hewett continued, “Rather than being rewarded for not clearing their land or returning it to native vegetation, the federal Clean Energy Regulator gave the farmers 151,600 Australian carbon credit units for “implementing improved grazing practices”, leading to a measured increase of 151,600 tonnes of soil carbon being sequestered over five years.

Soil Carbon Sequestration is possible in Australia.

The two properties mentioned above used the services of a soil carbon farming project developer to assist in the successful outcome. The results below provide some context to the two projects to assist prospective soil carbon farmers in making a decision about their own soil carbon farming project. These data have been gathered from the project developer’s communications materials and have not been publicly verified in detail by the Clean Energy Regulator.

Furthermore, in line with this website’s Terms of Service any advice and information on this web page is general only and has been prepared without taking into account your particular circumstances and needs. Before acting on any advice on this web page, you should assess or seek financial and/or legal advice on whether it is appropriate for your needs, financial situation and investment objectives.

Turpentine Soil Carbon Project

    • Project location: 3850ha near Goondiwindi, Queensland

    • Soil types: clayey, heavy textured soils

    • Climate type: subtropical climate with hot and humid summers and mild dry winters

  • at the nearest BOM weather station:

    • 2016: 525

    • 2017: 467

    • 2018: 257

    • 2019: 40

    • 2020: 476

    • 2021: 821

    • 56% between 0 and 0.3m

    • 44% below 0.3m

    • Introduction of time-controlled grazing

    • Division of initial 10 paddocks into 150, using single wire electric fencing

    • Increase in water points

    • Introduction of perennial legumes and subtropical grasses

    • Increase in carrying capacity from 8 to 20 stock days per Ha

    • Increase in desirable species

    • Improved water infiltration

    • Faster recovery from drought

    • More humus in the soil

    • More soil bacterial activity

    • Improved soil structure

    • 17,997 tonnes of Carbon (total)

    • 0.93 tonnes per ha per year

    • 0.013% estimated annual sequestration rate (0-30cm)

    • 0.007% estimated annual sequestration rate (0-100cm)

    • 66,050 ACCUs issued (for the 5 year project)

    • ACCU 5-year income (assuming spot price AUD 32.00): AUD 2,113,600

Moora Plains Soil Carbon Project

    • Project location: 3568ha at Taramba, Queensland

    • Soil types: wide range of soils, mainly clayey to clay loamy with some uniform cracking clays, some texture contrasted soils and some gradational non-cracking clays

    • Climate type: warm subtropical with moist, hot summers and cool, dry winters

  • at the nearest BOM weather station:

    • 2016: 632

    • 2017: 742

    • 2018: 502

    • 2019: 335

    • 2020: 511

    • 2021: 482

    • 56% between 0 and 0.3m

    • 44% below 0.3m

    • Intensive grazing systems to facilitate greater soil and pasture rest periods, to support plant health and carbon sequestration.

    • 23,232 tonnes of Carbon (total)

    • Estimated annual Carbon sequestration: 1.30 tonnes per ha per year

    • 0.019% estimated annual sequestration rate (0-30cm)

    • 0.010% estimated annual sequestration rate (0-100cm)

    • 85,262 ACCUs issued (for the 5 year project)

    • ACCU 5-year income (assuming spot price AUD 32.00): AUD 2,728,384