Carbon capture pilot launches at Bedfordshire waste facility

Energy-from-Waste (EfW) operator, Encyclis has announced the launch of a carbon capture pilot programme at its Rookery South Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Bedfordshire, to prototype the technology before full-scale deployment.

The pilot installation, developed in partnership with Kanadevia Inova, will confirm the exact specifications intended to use at the full-scale plant and the best operating techniques to fully optimise the system, by taking a small sample of flue gases from the energy-from-waste plant’s emissions with a focus on capturing carbon dixoide.

The captured CO2 will then be released back into the facility’s core system after data is collected on process performance.

The project is also aiming to showcase the new technology to stakeholders and funders as part of Encyclis’s financing and investment process.

Discussing the purpose of the pilot, Owen Michaelson, CEO of Encyclis, said: “We are taking steps to ensure we have a carbon capture process that delivers the best possible outcome in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“The installation of this pilot plant at our Rookery South facility is a vital part of that process. It will enable us to measure the effectiveness of the technology and determine how to optimise its operation.”

Protos ERF carbon capture plans

The temporary installation serves as a test model for the planned development at the Protos ERF in Cheshire, which is advancing as a pathfinder project under Track-1 of the UK Government’s industrial decarbonisation scheme, led by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). 

The Protos facility, currently under construction near Ellesmere Port, aims to capture 370,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. As part of the HyNet North West cluster, the captured gas will be transported for sub-sea storage in depleted gas fields in Liverpool Bay.

Michaelson added: “What we are developing is an incredible opportunity to support the Government’s key missions to deliver positive action against climate change, create new skilled jobs and strengthen the global reputation of the UK as a green industry leader.”

The project received a boost in October 2024, when Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced nearly £22 billion in government funding for carbon capture and storage.

Encyclis announced its carbon capture plans in April 2024 in a formalised agreement with DESNZ to advance the Protos ERF.