A pig farm in central-western New South Wales has started converting methane from the animals’ manure into electricity, to become the first piggery to completely offset its carbon emissions.

The electricity generated is helping power the farm at Young.

Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change Mark Dreyfus is officially launching the project that entitles the farmers to earn carbon credits for capturing the gas.

The farm’s owner, Edwina Beveridge, says it has been a huge success.

“We’re the first farm,” she said.

“I believe the people before us are flaring land fill gas, so we’re the first farm, first people in New South Wales, first pig farm, first of a lot of things.

“I will have to do some calculations based on the electricity we generate. A rough estimate we expect that we might be able to earn $80,000 a year.”

The piggery no longer has power bills as a result of the project.

“Our electricity and gas bill combined used to be about $15,000 a month,” Ms Beveridge said.

“We are now earning $5,000 a month with selling excess electricity. The project has, we think, a three-year payback period, so you can do the maths.

“It’s nice to be at the head of the pack.”