Plans announced for £800m carbon capture and storage facility in West Yorkshire
Enfinium has today (11 December) unveiled its ambitions to lead an investment of up to £800m in carbon capture and storage (CCS) at its facility in Ferrybridge, with hopes to be fully operational by 2030.
Once operational, the site is estimated to capture up to 1.2 million tonnes of carbon annually, which Enfinium claims includes “over 600,00 tonnes of durable, high-quality carbon removals – equivalent to taking the carbon emissions of every household in Manchester out of the atmosphere”.
The captured carbon will be transported in a gaseous phase via a dedicated pipeline to the east coast of the UK. Here, it will be moved beyond the UK’s shores and injected into a natural salt cavern or a depleted oil and gas field.
As part of Enfinium’s bid to the Government, it is setting out a range of pipeline routes that would allow the captured carbon to be transported via the Humber or Teeside to the East Coast Cluster.
By implementing CCS at the Ferrybridge energy from waste site, the facility is set to become one of Europe's largest carbon removal projects according to Enfinium, accelerating regional decarbonisation in West Yorkshire whilst creating over 200 jobs in the process.
The investment of up to £800m is set to cover the capital costs of purchasing and developing the CCS equipment on the Ferrybridge site.
Enfinium’s proposal will be put forward to the Government as part of the Track-1 cluster sequencing process set to launch this month with planning and consent for the site moving forward in 2024.
Carbon capture and storage: supporting net zero
The Carbon Budgets outlined by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) emphasise the necessity for the UK to implement carbon removal measures to attain a net zero economy.
Roughly half of the non-recyclable waste generated in society comprises biogenic elements, such as organic materials like food waste, plants, and paper, which have naturally absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The installation of CCS technology in the facility enables this carbon to be permanently removed and captured rather than re-released into the atmosphere, leading to a net removal of carbon or ‘negative emissions’.
Efinium has also outlined plans for the facility to generate over 90 MW of baseload, homegrown carbon-negative power.
Commenting on the plans, Mike Maudsley, CEO of Enfinium, said: “To deliver a net zero carbon economy, the UK needs to find a way to produce carbon removals, or negative emissions, at scale.
“Installing carbon capture at our Ferrybridge site would make it one of Europe’s biggest carbon removal projects. All this while decarbonising unrecyclable waste, diverting it from climate-damaging landfill, and supporting the green economy in West Yorkshire and the wider community.”
Adding to this, Olivia Powis, UK Director of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, said: "Enfinium’s planned £800 million investment in CCS at Ferrybridge marks a critical milestone for carbon removal and clean power.
“For the UK to host one of Europe’s largest carbon removal projects, it demonstrates we are really leading the way in our journey towards a net zero future. Enfinium’s strategic vision has the potential to sustain and create good local jobs and transform the facility in West Yorkshire.”
