Enfinium becomes ‘first UK based EFW’ firm to join CCS+ Initiative

Enfinium is a UK based EfW operator with plants across the UK including Leeds, Yorkshire, Flintshire, Kent and the West Midlands.

The CCS+ initiative brings together a “diverse array of participants hailing from various sectors”, including prominent names such as BP, Mitsubishi Corporation, Shell, the Japanese Gas Association, and FutureBiogas. The initiative was set up to align with the Paris Agreement’s goals, which commit to reducing CO2 emissions in order to combat global warming and limit the temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius.

Energy Systems Catapult in a 2020 study estimated that the EfW sector could capture up to 20 million tons of CO2 annually by 2050. This figure includes around 10 million tons of carbon removals supported by permanent offshore geological storage, underscoring the sector’s role in the country’s carbon reduction efforts.

Christiaan Gevers Deynoot and Matthias Krey, co-leads of the CCS+ Initiative, said: “We are delighted to welcome enfinium as industry partner in the CCS+ initiative. The initiative, which is a collaborative endeavour between major players in the industrial carbon management space, will greatly benefit from their expertise in the waste to energy sector.  We look forward to developing together the carbon accounting ‘infrastructure’ fit for the future carbon management economy.”

CCS Initiative

The initiative’s core objective revolves around advancing the development of carbon accounting methodologies, thereby enabling businesses to precisely quantify their carbon emissions.

The CCS+ Initiative is recognised by government bodies worldwide including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the UK Climate Change Committee.

Framework

Mike Maudsley, chief executive of Enfinium, said: “Carbon capture is an essential ingredient of net zero. This will require a mature voluntary carbon credits market, underpinned by robust data and accounting practices. The work of CCS+ is central to developing the framework needed to encourage investment.

“The energy from waste sector will play a significant role in meeting global demand for durable, high quality carbon removals. Despite our best efforts, there will always be millions of tonnes of unrecyclable waste that needs to be managed. Energy from waste with carbon capture can maximise the value of this waste by generating carbon negative energy and taking carbon emissions out of the atmosphere.”

Costs

EfW operators are racing to ensure access to funding so they can install carbon capture technology at their facilities. This will help reduce costs from the Emissions Trading Scheme, which will be expanded to waste incineration from 2028. With carbon capture, facilities could also be able to trade carbon credits.

The government announced in its Spring Budget this year that “up to  £20 billion” will be committed to carbon capture, with eight projects chosen in March to proceed to negotiations over funding (see letsrecycle.com story).