Enfinium begins UK's first carbon capture pilot
Enfinium initiates a carbon capture trial at its Ferrybridge plant to assess large-scale CCS deployment across its energy from waste facilities
Enfinium has launched the UK's first carbon capture pilot at an energy from waste facility, commencing a 12-month trial at its Ferrybridge-1 site in Knottingley, West Yorkshire. The project captures one tonne of carbon dioxide per day using a scaled-down carbon capture and storage (CCS) system supplied by Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI).
The pilot aims to collect operational data on performance metrics such as CO2 capture rates and solvent degradation. This information will inform potential future deployment of CCS technology across Enfinium's six UK energy from waste facilities.
Technical aspects of the pilot
The trial utilises a containerised CCS unit that mirrors the technology Enfinium could implement at full scale. It is designed to assess the effectiveness of different amine solvents in capturing CO2 from the plant's emissions. The data gathered will help optimise the technology for larger applications, potentially enabling significant carbon reductions across the company's operations.
Mike Maudsley, CEO of Enfinium, stated: "Carbon capture and storage technology is central to how the UK will be able to decarbonise its unrecyclable waste."
Bruno-Frédéric Baudouin, CEO of HZI, added: "This project will expand our carbon capture knowledge base and provide a springboard for delivering decarbonisation solutions worldwide."
Industry context and net zero targets
Deploying CCS technology in the energy from waste sector is seen as a potential method to generate durable carbon removals. Approximately 50% of the unrecyclable waste processed at energy from waste plants consists of biogenic material, which has already absorbed CO2 during its lifecycle. Capturing and storing emissions from this biogenic content can result in net carbon removals, contributing to the UK's net zero ambitions.
Recent research by the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies suggests that the energy from waste sector could contribute up to 8 million tonnes of carbon removals. The Climate Change Committee's 2024 Progress Report emphasised the need to accelerate the production of carbon removals to stay on track with net zero commitments.
Olivia Powis, CEO of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, commented: "With millions of tonnes of unrecyclable waste produced by the UK, this is an important demonstration of using CCS to generate clean power via energy from waste, as well as providing a future route to establishing the UK's greenhouse gas removal market."
Next steps and public consultation
Enfinium is advancing plans for the installation of CCS technology at its Ferrybridge 1 and 2 facilities. A five-week public consultation on the project, designated as a Project of National Significance, is running from 16 September to 20 October 2024.
This initiative builds on Enfinium's recently announced £1.7 billion net-zero transition plan, which includes upgrading its facilities and installing carbon capture technology across its UK sites. As reported by Resource earlier this month, the company aims to achieve net-zero in its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2033.
As the trial progresses, it is expected to provide data on the feasibility and effectiveness of large-scale carbon capture in energy from waste facilities, informing future developments in the sector.
