UK waste-to-energy operator Enfinium has announced plans to invest £800 million in a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at its site in West Yorkshire.
Once up and running by 2030, the CCS technology installed at Enfinium’s Ferrybridge 1 and 2 facilities will capture around 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year.
This number includes over 600,000 tonnes of “durable, high-quality carbon removals”, Enfinium said, equivalent to taking the carbon emissions of “every household in Manchester out of the atmosphere”.
With CCS installed, Ferrybridge would become one of the largest carbon removal projects in Europe, Enfinium said.
‘Vital carbon removals’
In a statement, Enfinium said the project will provide the UK with “vital carbon removals” and decarbonise unrecyclable waste.
It will also generate over 90MW of baseload “homegrown carbon negative power”.
In addition to accelerating regional decarbonisation in West Yorkshire, Enfinium said the project will support over 200 jobs across the supply chain during the development phase.
Enfinium chief executive officer Mike Maudsley said the UK needs to find a way to produce carbon removals, or negative emissions, at scale to deliver a net zero economy.
“Installing carbon capture at our Ferrybridge site would make it one of Europe’s biggest carbon removal projects,” Mr Maudsley said.
© Supplied by Enfinium“All this while decarbonising unrecyclable waste, diverting it from climate-damaging landfill, and supporting the green economy in West Yorkshire and the wider community.”
Carbon Capture and Storage Association UK director Olivia Powis said the Ferrybridge investment 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,” Ms Powis said.
Decarbonising waste
Announcing the plans, Enfinium said the UK Climate Change Committee’s sixth Carbon Budget “makes clear that the UK needs to deliver carbon removals to achieve a net zero economy”.
The report estimates engineered emissions removals of 58 million tonnes of CO2 per year will be required by 2050.
Enfinium also said approximately 50% of unrecyclable waste is made up of biogenic content, including organic material which has already naturally absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere.
By installing CCS technology at a waste-to-energy facility, Enfinium said CO2 can be permanently captured and stored rather than released back into the atmosphere.
This would result in net carbon removal, or negative emissions, Enfinium said.
Despite progress in reducing waste and increasing recycling, Enfinium said the UK will continue to produce around 17 million tonnes of unrecyclable waste by 2042.
The company said its Ferrybridge facility currently diverts up to 1.45 million tonnes of unrecyclable waste from landfill to produce energy, resulting in lower overall emissions according to the UK National Infrastructure Commission.
Enfinium seeking grant support
Enfinium said it will put its Ferrybridge CCS plans forward for grant support from the UK government as part of the Track-1 cluster sequencing process due to launch this month.
Planning and consenting for the site will move forward in 2024, Enfinium said.
The company said the Ferrybridge project is the “first step” in its decarbonisation journey, and it will “continue to review opportunities to deploy CCS at other facilities across its portfolio”.
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