Unveiling of the United Kingdom's first waste-to-energy carbon capture trial project
In July 2024, Enfinium is set to launch a carbon capture system at a UK energy-from-waste plant in West Yorkshire, marking a significant step towards decarbonising the country's waste sector. The 12-month pilot project, in partnership with technology specialist Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI), will utilise a post-combustion carbon capture system to capture CO₂ emissions from waste incineration processes.
The carbon capture technology, which has been welcomed by Lord Dominic Johnson, minister for investment and regulatory reform, is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions from the plant, contribute to the UK's net-zero ambitions, and support a circular carbon economy. The captured CO₂ could potentially be stored underground or used in other industrial processes.
Enfinium aims to invest £800m in installing carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems at both its Ferrybridge 1 and 2 energy-from-waste plants. The process of carbon capture involves three steps: capturing carbon dioxide produced by power generation or industrial activity, transporting it, and storing it deep underground.
The National Grid considers carbon capture as a way of reducing carbon emissions, which could be key to tackling global warming. However, specific details about the project from the National Grid were not provided.
The post-combustion carbon capture pilot at Ferrybridge 1 is part of Enfinium's broader strategy to integrate carbon capture with waste-to-energy operations. Potential benefits include a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions, support for the UK government's net-zero ambitions, and enhanced economic viability of waste-to-energy projects.
The partnership with HZI allows Enfinium to test multiple capture techniques that could be deployed across its facilities at scale. The technology supplied by HZI is a scaled-down 'containerised' version of a CCS system.
The UK government is making efforts to ensure the country remains attractive for green investment, creating jobs and opportunities as it transitions to net zero. However, no new information about the investment amount or the specific facilities involved was mentioned.
With CCS installed, the two Ferrybridge projects could become one of the largest carbon removal projects in Europe. The project aligns with EU and UK regulatory frameworks such as potential carbon border adjustments and carbon pricing mechanisms that reward lower carbon intensity energy generation.
Lord Dominic Johnson described the project as 'another win for our country' and a 'huge step to enabling the decarbonisation of the UK's unrecyclable waste.' Enfinium's CEO, Mike Maudsley, stated that installing carbon capture technology on energy-from-waste facilities is the only way the UK can decarbonise its unrecyclable waste.
This news comes as the UK continues to invest in green technologies and transition towards a more sustainable future. The success of Enfinium's carbon capture system at Ferrybridge 1 could pave the way for similar projects across the country and Europe.
- The carbon capture system being launched by Enfinium at Ferrybridge 1, a significant step towards reducing emissions and meeting the UK's net-zero ambitions, could potentially be integrated with health-and-wellness practices through the use of captured CO₂ in other industrial processes.
- As part of its broaderstrategy, Enfinium plans to integrate carbon capture with waste-to-energy operations, which, beyond reducing CO₂ emissions, could support therapies-and-treatments using captured CO₂ and contribute to the development of environmental-science research, thereby fostering a greener, more sustainable environment.
